Bishop Henderson Primary School welcomed a special guest last week to tell them more about being active every single day of the year. Jim Plunkett-Cole, from Kilmersdon, visited the school as part of their work finding out more about healthy living and lifestyle.

Jim is well known in the area for running 10k, every single day, since January 1st 2013. To date and alongside other running friends and of course, his trusty dog sidekick, Alf, he has raised £23,500 for local charities, including Positive Action on Cancer, based in Frome.

He explained to the children that bodies are designed for movement and the importance of staying active, but that they should definitely not run 10k a day! Pupils were able to ask Jim questions about his challenge, including how many calories he needs to consume a day, how many portions of fruit and vegetables he eats and how he fits in his latest challenge, which is to complete a triathlon every day, whilst holding down a full-time job. The children then had the chance to run three laps around the school playground and the new games court, alongside Jim and their teachers, which was officially opened in October.

The last two years have also seen the launch of a free 365-day community challenge, set up by Jim, where readers can be active every single day for a year – it costs nothing, all you need is a tracking device or app to share your progress online. You choose the distance and the method. Ninety people have signed up so far for next year’s challenge and Jim hopes to take it nationally. For more about how it works, visit: www.kx365.org.

As well as the Ultra Marathon around Bristol to mark the end of another year, Jim now has his sights set on a huge project across America, which he is calling ‘JimGump’. Providing he can secure the correct visa and funding, he is looking to run across the US several times, as Forrest Gump did in the famous film of the same name. Whilst criss-crossing across the states, Jim hopes to visit schools in the US to spread the word about staying active and healthy. His challenge would see him starting in Alabama on 1st October next year, running 19,024 miles in 1,169 days – that’s at least sixteen miles a day. He will also need a support team and sponsors for such a huge challenge.

You can follow his progress and plans via Twitter @JimPlunkett-Cole or the link for the local charities is: www.justgiving.com/Jim-Plunkett-Cole1