It was the plight of 9-year-old Josie Russell that first persuaded English sales trainer Nick Baldock to run across America.

Josie had survived a horrifying attack in 1996, when her mother and sister were brutally murdered in front of her.

Like many others, Nick was moved by the tragedy

He decided to express his sympathy and raise money for Josie by running from San Francisco to New York: donating the proceeds of his book to the Josie Russell Trust.

Introducing this story of endurance, Josie's father - Dr Shaun Russell - acknowledges the "intense physical and mental struggle Nick has undergone for Josie's sake", and pays tribute to the commitment and dedication that fuelled an achievement "only equalled by a handful of human beings before him".

Shaun and Josie Russell