A CREWKERNE man will be riding the extra mile for his daughter as he is set to take on a huge 24-hour cycle challenge around the south west.

Mark Hughes, whose 10-year-old daughter Sophie suffers from the life-limiting Mitochondria disease, will set off from Crewkerne before cycling 612km around the west country, before finishing in Chard 24 hours later.

Mr Hughes is taking on the gruelling challenge to raise money for the Lily Foundation, which funds research into curing.

Mark, who lives in Kingswood Road, said he was excited but nervous before the challenge: “It is just to raise awareness and raise funds so we can help fund research for the charity.

"I have never done anything this huge, I want to push myself in doing this. I have always wanted to something like this, it is about respecting the distance.

“Sophie’s mitochondria, it is progressive. It affects the energy her cells make. It gets worse and it will mean she will probably have a shorter life but it is all about the quality of life.

"She is the oldest surviving child with her condition at the moment.

“The Lily Foundation is researching into it and trying to find a cure in the future for what she has. It affects more people than you would think.”

His challenge will start at 8.30am on July 2 outside Crewkerne Town Hall. He will ride 400 miles and climb nearly 10,000 metres during his mission.

Mark, who rides for Chard Wheelers and is a personal trainer, added: “In wintertime one morning I woke up and thought, what can I do this year to help the Lily Foundation, the charity that raises money to find a cure for mitochondrial diseases, the condition my daughter Sophie has.

“I love to ride my bike, very quickly I decided to cycle around the South West for 24 hours. To do it in time we’ll have to do it non-stop too, barring quick toilet breaks. I started about a month ago and I have got £350. I am hoping to get the word out more, to raise more awareness and hopefully raise more for the Lily Foundation.”

The Lily Foundation helps fund research into mitochondrial disease and other metabolic disorders, the training of medical teams and support for families who are stricken with metabolic disorders.

For more information on their work, visit www.thelilyfoundation.org.uk. For more information on Mark’s challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/NonstopforLily, and to see Mark’s route around the West Country, visit https://www.strava.com/routes/4075500.