Super Chris helps child protection effort at Marathon

Sports massage practitioner Chris Chesterman supervised 40 volunteer therapists giving post-race massage treatment to 180 runners raising cash for the NSPCC. As well as heading up the team he also treated other injured runners for complaints including sprained ankles and extreme blisters.

Chris, who is based in Headington, has been part of the county council’s team of foster carers for six months, and has more than six-years’ experience in total. In addition to his role as a foster carer, he has also run three marathons for ChildLine before supporting the NSPCC runners this year.

Foster care role

He said: “My wife Serena and I are short term foster carers which means that we can have children staying with us for one night or up to two years - however long it takes for the child to be placed either with their birth family or a full time placement can be found. Our nine-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter both love having the children staying with us.

“Foster caring is a challenging but hugely rewarding role, and I would urge anyone who thinks it might possibly be for them to find out more.”

Last year Chris worked as a sports massage practitioner at the London Olympics, where he treated athletes from all countries and events at the athletes’ village. At the Paralympics he also treated athletes at the trackside within the Olympic Stadium.

Find out more about fostering in Oxfordshire