A fitness instructor is planning a 24-hour non-stop workout to raise £1.4 million for the NHS.

Ryan Thompson will start his gruelling ordeal at noon on Saturday at his home in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey.

The personal trainer said: "There are approximately 1.4 million NHS employees in the UK so I want to raise raise £1.4 million by undertaking 24 hours of physical activity live from my front room this weekend. That’s the £1 for each employee of the NHS.

"I genuinely want to achieve this goal in light of the tremendous work all the staff are doing during the Covid-19 crisis but also, on a personal level, following my recent admission to a psychiatric hospital where the staff were superb."

He said: "I like a challenge and want to give something back."

Sheppey-born Ryan, 44, a dad of eight-year-old twin girls Mia and Grace, says he was inspired to "do his bit" after watching the 99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore raise £18 million for the NHS.

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

He still has a long way to go to reach his target. On Friday it was standing at £554. But he is hoping many more people will share his Go Fund Me page over the weekend.

He admitted: "Will I raise that? Probably not. But I am going to give it a jolly good go, regardless.

"I am aware lots of people are doing good work out there and doing similar things. But this is me. This is what I'm doing as a way of saying thank-you to the NHS."

He was admitted to St Martin's psychiatric hospital in Canterbury five weeks ago and spent a week on the ward.

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 is nothing compared to what they are doing, working those long shifts without a break.

"At least I will be in the comfort of my own home."

He is planning to stay active for the full 24 hours except for comfort breaks.

He said: "I will doing press-ups, sit-ups, some shadow-boxing and weights work - anything to keep me active."

He will be working-out in front of his TV where he is hoping to watch comments and support live on his Facebook feed.

Donate £1 on his Gofundme link here.

Read more: Stories from the Isle of Sheppey here.

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