Welsh actor Mark Lewis Jones visited Lewis School Pengam recently to talk to pupils about successfully completing the gruelling Marathon des Sables, with fellow actor Richard Harrington.
The Marathon des Sables, translated as ‘Marathon of the Sands’, is described as one of the toughest footraces in the world taking place over seven days and covering 156 miles in average temperatures of 50 degrees centigrade in the depth of the Sahara Desert.
Visiting the school on Thursday June 26, Mark explained to a large group of Year 7 and 8 pupils about his intense training regime, and the physical and mental preparations required to take on such a challenge.
Mark and Richard ran the race as part of their campaign to raise £100,000 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research at Cardiff University.
Dr Chris Pepper, who is leading the research, was on hand to give pupils an overview of his work and how the funds being raised are helping to advance medial technology in order to save lives.