On Saturday 3 August, bodybuilder and ex-marine Max Glover took on the ultimate fundraising challenge by walking a marathon whilst towing a car. Max attached himself to the 1.7 tonne BMW 525d with a harness and walked the 26.2 miles within 24 hours, raising over £1,400 for Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity.
Cardiff-based Max travelled to Bruntinghthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire – who allowed him to use the track for 24 hours.
Officially, Max only has 13 days to train for this challenge, in addition to his bodybuilding history. This isn’t the first challenge Max has taken on. Incredibly, in the past he has carried 200lbs up and down the highest mountain in Southern Britain, completed car dead lifts and successfully done 1000 pull ups.
The inspiration behind this challenge comes from Max’s good friend Julie who recently had a lung transplant at Harefield Hospital. Julie and Max met several years ago when Max trained her at their local gym. They then ended up unexpectedly working together later in life when Max changed jobs.
Julie has a rare condition called Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency which means she lacks a protective enzyme inhibitor which makes her more vulnerable to smoke, dust and other toxic materials and increases the risk of lung disease. Because of the deficiency, Julie was required to have a lung transplant. Shortly after the transplant Julie went to lunch with Max and he was amazed at how well she looked.
“ Because I was seeing her every day I knew her health was declining as a result of the lung disease but I don’t think I was so aware of the extent until I saw her after the operation and how healthy she looked.”
The pair plan to walk Pen-Y-Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales, together to raise money in the future once Julie is well enough.
All the proceeds from the day will go towards the Charity’s pioneering Harefield Transplant Appeal, to raise funds for Organ Care Systems to allow more patients to receive life-saving transplants.
