Alcester teacher completes 100,000 press-ups to raise awareness of giving blood - The Redditch Standard

Alcester teacher completes 100,000 press-ups to raise awareness of giving blood

Redditch Editorial 9th Mar, 2021   0

A TEACHER from Alcester has completed a gruelling 100,000 press-up challenge to raise awareness on giving blood.

Tom Jeffrey has been donating blood since he was 17, and will be coming up to his 30th donation in April.

The-30-year-old, who teaches PE at King Edward VI Camp Hill School, said: “My Nana, Shirley, had a bad car accident in 2019 and since then has required frequent blood transfusions, sometimes twice weekly.

“Without people donating blood my lovely Nana definitely wouldn’t be with us today.”




Tom is no stranger to sponsored challenges, having run a number of marathons, and more recently, completing a 10,000 burpee challenge for the National Institute of Conductive Education – a school in Birmingham for children with physical and learning difficulties.

His year-long press-up task was suggested by pupils after he told them he wanted to do something other than running. He took to a three-times daily schedule, performing up to 550 press-ups a day as his deadline drew closer.


And it has not been vain as his gruelling challenge has encouraged a flurry of blood donor registrations from his students and local residents after posting his story on social media.

Among the new donors was a pupil with a rare blood type which could help people suffering with sickle cell disease.

The dad-of-one said: “I felt that it was time to do a challenge that could raise awareness but not ask people for money.

“So I mentioned it to my Year 13 form and they said I should do a press-up challenge and came up with 100,000 in a year.

“I said I would do it if they helped me raise awareness of blood donation. Many of the pupils thought you had to be 18 to donate and didn’t realise it was 17, so they were excited to personally get involved.”

And Tom is not planning for his adventures to stop any time soon. He added: “I plan to do the Welsh 3000s Mountain Challenge as soon as restrictions are lifted. I’d like to continue raised awareness for giving blood as it’s keeping my Nana going strong!”

Visit http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk for more information on blood donation.

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