A Llanelli man has completed a fundraiser that most people would shy away from – a 24-hour burpee challenge which has raised over a staggering £4,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Callum Williams, 20, pushed his fitness levels to the max to complete 150 burpees every hour for the first 13 hours and then 100 burpees every hour for the remainder of the challenge. He wanted to show his support after seeing the Wales Air Ambulance come to the aid of a close friend.

Callum, who hoped to raise £100 for the Charity, started the challenge at 12am on Friday 15 January and his final burpees were at 11pm.

A delighted but exhausted Callum said: “I decided to do 150 burpees every hour for 24-hours to raise money for Wales Air Ambulance because it's a charity that's close to my heart, having known several people that have relied on it in the past.

“So many lives are saved by this charity and having seen them in action with a close friend, I was keen to do a challenge that will help raise money.”

Reflecting on why he decided to do this challenge, the window manufacturer said: “I picked this particular fundraiser because I knew going into it that it was going to be a big task. Knowing all the amazing work the Wales Air Ambulance do throughout the year, I wanted to push the boundaries.

“The challenge took me by surprise on how demanding it would be on my body. I managed to do the first 13 hours but then I had to drop the number of burpees down from 150 to 100 for the remaining time due to the impact it was having on my body.”

Callum, who is hoping to join The Royal Navy has already raised £4,135 and was supported throughout the challenge by his family and girlfriend Kirsten Field.

Callum is a member of Evolution gym in Cross Hands, where Kirsten works as a gym instructor. Kirsten completed the final hour of the challenge with Callum.

He said: “I feel very overwhelmed by the amount of money we have been able to raise during this challenge. Having originally thought I'd only raise a couple of hundred, the total is over £4,000!

“The reaction and support from my family and friends has been unbelievable, and from my girlfriend who stayed up and stuck by me from minute 1 until hour 24. I was truly grateful for them on the day for keeping me going, and forever will be!”

Mark Stevens, Wales Air Ambulance South Wales Fundraising Manager, said: “Congratulations to Callum on completing this huge and exhausting challenge. Doing a few hours of burpees is a huge undertaking for the best of us. But doing it for 24-hours is just extraordinary and shows Callum’s commitment and determination. It’s fitting that this challenge was over 24 hours as it reflects the fact that our service now operates 24/7.

“Thank you so much for fundraising for our lifesaving charity and a huge thank you to everyone who supported Callum during the challenge.”

There’s still time to show your appreciation to Callum – you can donate via his Just giving page Callum's 24-hour burpee challenge

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/callums24hourburpees

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance, like Callum. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.