INSPIRED pupils in Almondsbury have been paid a visit by the real life Forrest Gump.

Jim Plunkett-Cole – also known as Jim Gump – has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of people across the UK and USA after taking on a 20,000-mile running challenge

After being inspired to run 10km a day by the London 2012 Olympic Games, Jim set himself the challenge for 365 days, and has not missed a day since, having bumped up his daily distance to 17 miles a day, with the total covered now 14,000 over miles.

In the popular 90's film, Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, ran for just over three years, covering more than 19,000 miles.

Visiting Almondsbury with his border collie Alfredo to talk about healthy lifestyles on Thursday, October 12, getting active and raising awareness of Asperger’s Syndrome, Jim spoke in an assembly to more than 300 of the school’s pupils, sharing his stories of running from place to place.

Once the assembly was over, to demonstrate how fun healthy living can be, Jim was joined by the whole school for a run around the field.

"It was a fantastic day,” said head teacher Paul Smith. “The children were enthralled by his exciting stories of the journeys he had been on and the sights that he had seen.

“They joined in whole-heartedly, creating their own race numbers, sharing stories and asking questions about his experiences.

“All of the children joined him to take part in their own circuit around the school grounds.

“This visit is a real kick start to the school extending their enthusiasm for running and physical activity through the daily mile initiative which aims to get everyone active each day.”