(Image: GNAAS)
An air ambulance paramedic is preparing to take on one of his toughest fundraising challenges yet by carrying a 16kg rescue manikin during this year's Great North Run.
Jake Gunn, 40, from Durham, plans to complete the half marathon with the heavy manikin slung over his shoulders to raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
A member of the GNAAS critical care team since 2021, Mr Gunn is no stranger to unconventional running challenges.
Jake Gunn dressed as Ellie Copter in the 2022 Great North Run
(Image: GNAAS)
In 2022, he completed his first-ever half marathon dressed as the charity’s helicopter mascot, Ellie Copter.
Two years later, he returned to the race in his flight suit while carrying a 10kg training bag.
Despite battling wind and rain that left his uniform soaked, Mr Gunn finished the race alongside approximately 60,000 other runners.
Jake Gunn of the GNNAS critical care team with a rescue manikin he will be carrying while taking part in the Great North Run
(Image: GNAAS)
This year, he hopes for drier weather as he takes on his latest challenge—a rescue manikin that weighs 16kg and could exceed 20kg when wet.
Mr Gunn said: "The rescue manikin is used for training purposes, including when we carry out simulation exercises.
"They are a bit tougher than the more human looking manikins that you may have encountered, as they are made with a durable material and are packed with cloth to simulate a human body, which you can lift, drag or extricate, depending on the scenario."
The GNAAS team at the 2024 Great North Run
(Image: GNAAS)
He has already started training for the event using a weighted vest and aims to raise £1,000 for GNAAS.
Mr Gunn has also enquired to see whether his challenge could potentially qualify as a Guinness World Record.
Reflecting on his motivation, Mr Gunn said: "I'm pretty inspired day to day by all the work everyone does for our incredibly special charity, and me doing these daft challenges and raising some money feels like I'm helping to do my bit."
The Great North Air Ambulance Service is a charity-funded organisation that provides emergency medical care across the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and the Isle of Man.
Jake Gunn of the GNNAS critical care team with a rescue manikin he will be carrying while taking part in the Great North Run
(Image: GNAAS)
The service operates two helicopters 365 days a year, as well as night-time rapid response vehicles in the North East and Cumbria.
Each helicopter is crewed by specialist doctors and paramedics who bring hospital-level care directly to the scene of emergencies.
Read more
Air ambulance called and rescued boat launched as person pulled from Wear in Durham
Boy, 15, sets himself on fire in 'tragic' petrol accident in Darlington
Yorkshire Air Ambulance partnership extended after £150k raised
GNAAS has responded to more than 30,000 incidents since 2002 and now averages 39 call-outs per week.
The charity relies entirely on donations and must raise £9.6 million each year to continue operating.
This equates to a daily running cost of £25,969.
Supporters can sponsor his effort through his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/page/jake-gunn-3.
For more information about the Great North Air Ambulance Service or to learn about other ways to support the charity, visit www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk.