FITNESS fanatic David Horan has completed a marathon challenge to raise money for a cancer sufferer.

Mr Horan, 35, from St John's Road, Shildon, rowed 26.2 miles on a rowing machine at the Lifestyle Fitness Suite, in Sunnydale Leisure Centre, to raise funds for the Pam Aston Flight For Life appeal.

Mr Horan has harboured the ambition to complete the task and the Flight For Life Appeal was the inspiration he needed to tackle it.

After completing the challenge on Saturday he said he was happy to make the contribution.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. It was definitely harder than running a marathon," he said.

"Pam actually came to see me when I was doing it and that was nice. So far I have raised in the region of £350 and Lifestyle Fitness Suites have agreed to match that.''

He also praised staff at Bishop Auckland College's health and beauty department for their support.

He said: "Carol and Debbie have been marvellous, and Debbie even gave up her free time to be here to watch over me and gave me a massage treatment afterwards.''

The Pam Aston Flight For Life Appeal is seeking to raise £20,000 to send the 46-year-old mother-of-one, who lives in Spennymoor, to the Issells Clinic in Mexico for urgent cancer treatment.

So far, about £14,000 has been raised to send her to the Oasis of Hope Hospital, in Tijuana.

She said: "The support from the community has been overwhelming. I never thought we would have reached this far so quickly.''