A CHARITY fundraiser recently got official confirmation from the MS Society that he had raised more than £4,000 by running the London Marathon — double his original target.

Antony Butcher, 30, who grew up in Tavistock with his mum Teresa, ran the London Marathon in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, despite suffering from back and leg pains during training. He raised a total of £4,100.15 for the charity, in dedication to his mum who has lived with the condition for almost 15 years and now lives in a nursing home in Yorkshire. Over the course of his lifetime, Antony has now raised more than £21,000 for charity — with over £17,000 of this being for the MS Society.

The injuries Antony picked up during training reoccurred during the marathon, with his left knee seizing up just before the halfway mark on Tower Bridge. He limped the last 14-miles finishing in 6 hours 8 minutes.

Hundreds of people have watched a video of Antony completing the last mile as galloped down the Mall before collapsing in tears across the finish line.

Antony said: ‘My mum can’t stop having MS, so when my knee went I knew there was no way I was giving up. By the time I reached the finish line I was in agony and I couldn’t believe I’d made it — it was just so emotional.’

Antony was involved in setting up Tavistock Youth Café and was part of the class of 2000 at Tavistock College before going on to work at Robertson’s restaurant. His mum Teresa was an active member of the local community and volunteered at the Molly Owen Centre.

However, the London Marathon was just a warm up for a much bigger event. In 2020 Antony plans to cycle from New York to San Francisco. He is hoping to raise another £15,000 in support of the MS research while also raising awareness of mental health, using his own experience to encourage people to talk about how they are feeling.

Antony said: ‘In 2018 I had a major depressive episode that left me unemployed and for several months I did no exercise. I think the issues with my mum and my professional life took its toll on me. I knew I needed a new project to help give me a sense of purpose.

‘I’ve done several long-distance bike rides in the past, so I wanted to push myself further. It will be physically and personally difficult too; I’ll be mainly by myself while I leave my wife Lizzie and two cats back home in Yorkshire.’