Former strongman takes on unique challenge
It's in aid of a cause close to his heart
A former strongman from Kettering, Gareth Howley, is preparing to embark on an epic journey.
He's to run from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London to raise funds for national charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. He will arrive in the London just in time to take up his starting position in the 2025 London Marathon.
Gareth tells us he was inspired after watching his mum battle with her struggling hearing:
“I look at mum and I see how isolated she can be because of her hearing loss.
“When I went with her to the Hearing Dogs southern training centre in Buckinghamshire, I was blown away by the charity’s work and wanted to do anything I could to help.”
Originally trained as an amateur strongman, Gareth switched to running when he injured his foot badly. By his own admission, his physique at the time was far from typical for a long-distance runner but he was determined to take on something special and unique:
"If you think about when your ears are blocked, or if you've been swimming and get that sense of struggling listening. Imagine if you have that situation constantly, it makes everything so much harder from hearing the TV to listening for the microwave, or someone at the door.
"Being able to find an organisation which could help and make such a potential difference to her life, and since they're sadly not as high profile when there are so many people who need help. I just wanted to raise awareness for them and to raise money as well.
“There’s no question that it's going to be a tough challenge, but if I’m asking people to donate their hard-earned cash, especially in this climate, I want to do something that takes me out of my comfort zone."
You can follow his exploits online.