Fitness instructor Ryan Thompson spent 24-hours at the weekend in a non-stop workout to raise £1.4 million for the NHS.

He began his gruelling ordeal at noon on Saturday at his home in Scocles Road, Minster, on the Isle of Sheppey and carried on through the night spurred on by supporters watching his live feed on social media.

The personal trainer said: “There are approximately 1.4 million NHS employees in the UK so I wanted to raise £1 for each of them. It was a huge challenge for me."

In the end, he managed just £2,800 but said: "It is still a lot of money to raise in one session and I am proud of what I have done."

The event also raised awareness of mental health.

Sheppey-born Ryan, 44, a dad of eight-year-old twin girls Mia and Grace, recently returned from spending a week at St Martin’s psychiatric hospital in Canterbury.

He said: “I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder 18 months ago and am open about my mental health. The staff were brilliant and worked tirelessly.

“Twenty-four hours of exercise for me was nothing compared to what they are doing, working those long shifts without a break.

“At least I was in the comfort of my own home.”

He said he was inspired to “do his bit” after watching 99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore raise £18 million for the NHS by walking.

Ryan runs RPT Fitness Solutions from a gym in New Road, Sheerness, and previously worked at the Shurland Hotel, Eastchurch.

His workout included weights, press-ups, sit-ups, shadow-boxing and a one-hour stint of 'dad dancing.'

He said: "The worst part was from midnight when I guessed everyone else had gone to bed but there were a couple who kept sending me messages on my live feed and they kept me going.

"The best part was about 5.30am on Sunday when I watched the sunrise through my windows.

"The highlight for most seems to have been when I decided to do a bit of dad-dancing at 5pm on Saturday. But I may have exerted myself too much!"

He added: "I also found it therapeutic talking about my own mental health.

"I entered the Channel 4 TV show SAS Who Dares Win four years ago and gave up too early. I had never quite forgiven myself for that.

"But doing this 24-hour workout lifted my spirits and proved to me that I could still take on challenges outside my comfort zone. I hope it has given some encouragement to others."

To support him, visit www.gofundme.com/f/1z8l3jf9o0

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