Through the medium of this blog, I felt I had to give a big shout out for another crazy Englishman - namely Mr Russell Cook (aka "Hardest Geezer"). Today he reached the northernmost tip of Africa having run from the continent's most southerly tip down in South Africa. He is the first human in history to have achieved this remarkable feat.
He has run the equivalent of 360 marathons or 10,000 miles in less than a year on a journey that took him through sixteen countries, several pairs of running shoes and also saw him attacked and robbed and hospitalised. He was supported by a small back-up team run on (please excuse the pun) a shoestring budget.
At the time of writing this blogpost, he has raised £733,000 for his two chosen charities which are Sandblast Ltd and The Running Charity. The first of these supports the Saharawi people of the western Sahara - many thousands of whom currently live in refugee camps.
The Running Charity delivers mental health support and innovative youth work programmes to young people aged 16-25 who are dealing with homelessness or have complex personal needs.
In awe of what Russ Cook has accomplished, I donated to his charity appeal earlier today. You can find a link here at givestar. Leaving the charities aside, one cannot help simply applauding the audacity of the man, his strength, his courage and his single-mindedness. Just - Wow!
Courage, intensity, insanity. All of which define his accomplishment. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThese days, need more inspirational stories.
DeleteIt doesn't hit of what this guy has done until you look at the map. I ran until I was 71 and always under 10 km. I know how tough that was.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be great if a former teacher - now in his eighties - ran across Canada to raise money for indigenous projects?
DeleteHe certainly went the long way around instead of going through Niger.
ReplyDeleteYes. That circuitous route must have added a few hundred extra miles.
DeleteIt is an achievement only very few people can (or will) realistically consider, and one that reminds us normalos of what humans can do with determination.
ReplyDeleteI like the word "normalos"!
DeleteVery impressive. Some humans are just so decent and at times we need to be reminded of this. He may even crack the £1 million.
ReplyDeleteThat is his aim. Up to £766,000 this morning.
DeleteWell done Russell Cook! Five stars.
ReplyDeleteFive stars indeed.
DeleteWhat an achievement - he's a bonkers, brilliant young man. You've reminded me to donate to his charity appeal.
ReplyDeleteI really hope he hits his target of £1m.
DeleteThey should call him Captain Cook. What an hero.
ReplyDeleteThere is an historical Captain Cook already - Yorkshireman Captain James Cook. Hardest Geezer should become Lord Cook of Worthing and stir things up in The House of Lords. He deserves a place there more than any of the recent Tory appointments.
DeleteSuch a wonderful achievement restores my faith in human nature. I hope that he achieves his million, but he has done incredibly well already.
ReplyDeleteNow up to £792,000.
DeleteOne step at a time, one step after another, great things happen.
ReplyDeleteI looked him up and expected to see an old guy, geezer, but he's young, only 27. Well done Russell. I could never do anything like that.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been tempting to take shortcuts, for example through Morocco. I knew them all on school cross-country runs along Westfield Banks. It also helped that my mum used to wash my running kit.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Africans traveling across Africa may have completed a journey like this but maybe not as quickly as he did! He has really changed his life. Good for him.
ReplyDeleteThat IS a big wow. I want to know more about his journey. I'll see what I can find online!
ReplyDeleteYou could do that, YP. No problem.
ReplyDeletewhat an effort! the guy has a tonne of grit
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