The Brighton fan running 1569 miles to buy medical supplies for Ukraine

Whilst most Brighton fans are tearing their hair out after the Albion recorded six consecutive defeats for the first time since 2006, one Seagulls season ticket holder and his family have much more important matters on their minds.

Anthony Seddon has been a Brighton supporter for 31 years. He also follows England away and spent the summer of 2012 travelling across Ukraine in a camper van watching the Three Lions at the European Championships.

Said campervan was not the most reliable, and so Anthony and his friends found themselves enjoying an unscheduled stop in Dnipro when it broke down.

It was here that he met Anna. 15 months later and they were married, ensuring that Anthony had a more successful tournament than Roy Hodgson’s side, who bowed out in the quarter finals. The couple now have two young children.

Anthony and Anna managed to secure safe passage for Anna’s mother out of Dnipro. She arrived in England on Wednesday 9th March after a five day journey via bus, train and plane.

This was just as well as less than 48 hours later, Dnipro was hit by three missiles, leaving a local nursery burning. Anna’s brother and his young family remain in the city.

Medical supplies are desperately needed in Ukraine as Russia wages its war. To raise money to buy aids for those still in Dnipro, Anthony has set himself the challenge of running 1,569 miles – the distance between the Amex and the home of FC Dnipro.

Anthony will be racking up the miles at various events across England, starting this weekend in Herne Bay. Upcoming April runs include a 10k at Goodwood Motor Circuit, the Brighton 10k and the Worthing Half Marathon.

You cannot miss Anthony – he will be running every event in the yellow and blue Brighton third shirt with “Run 2 Ukraine” printed on the back.

Over £10,000 has already been donated before Anthony has even laced up a shoe. To supplement his fundraising efforts, Anthony is also looking for people to join him.

Those who take part in a 10km alongside him can raise sponsorship amongst their friends and family, swelling the donations and enabling more medical supplies to be bought.

If two more Albion fans ran with him at each event, then suddenly the #Run2Ukraine has three times the fundraising power. That lends itself to helping more people in Dnipro.

Not only is he raising money, but he is also delivering the medical supplies himself. Every three weeks, he and friends take a van on a 20 hour journey from Brighton to Poland. The medical aid is then moved into Ukraine and delivered to Dnipro via Lviv.

Anna is in contact with a paramedic friend in Dnipro, who updates on the medical supplies most desperately needed. Mostly, that is tourniquets which stop severe bleeding.

Anthony has made two trips already, delivering the sort of cargo that should never be needed in a democratic European country.

The more money that Anthony and Anna can raise – helped by Brighton supporters everywhere – the more medical supplies they can get into Dnipro.

Anything you can give for a lifelong Albion fan and his family will be gratefully received. You can donate via the Run2Ukraine Gofundme page, where there is also a video in which Anthony explains his and Anna’s story.

You can keep up-to-date with Anthony’s running challenge via the campaign’s Instagram account.

To join Anthony on a run, then please email run2ukraine@gmail.com.

Glory to Ukraine.