Paralysed Shrewsbury man preparing for seven marathons in a week raises more than £34,000
A paralysed Shropshire man taking on seven marathons in seven days on seven continents later this year has raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes already.
Darren Edwards, who is aiming to become the first ever wheelchair user to attempt the 777 World Marathon Challenge and raise £100,000 for the Armed Forces Para-Snowboard Team (AFPST), has already raised £34,486.
Darren, an inspiring adventurer from Shrewsbury, is taking part in the monumental challenge which sees participants complete seven marathons in seven days across seven continents.
He, along with a group of 30 individuals, will start in Antarctica, then to Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, South America and then finish off in North America.
Darren is aiming to raise £100,000 for the Armed Forces Para-Snowboard Team (AFPST), an independent charity that uses the restorative power of para-snowsport to accelerate the recovery and welfare of wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
Darren suffered a near-fatal accident in 2016 after falling 30ft during a rock climb. It left him instantly and permanently paralysed from the chest down but he continues to take part in arduous and inspiring activities, refusing to let his disability dictate what he was able to achieve.
As of now, his Justgiving page has hit £34,486, with the event set to take place from October 25 to November 1.
The description of the fundraiser says: "In October 2022, I am attempting to become the first person with a disability to complete the gruelling World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons, seven days, seven continents) unsupported and in a wheelchair.
"If we can raise £100,000 for the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team we can pay for 20 injured/wounded veterans to experience the freedom of alpine/nordic skiing (as well as snowboarding) at the annual AFPST training camp in 2023. £100,000 would fund the entire project."
Darren has previously raised £110,000 for AFPST in June 2021, by leading a group of five injured and wounded veterans in his Kayak4Heroes challenge, which saw them kayak from Land’s End to John-O-Groats. They were the first adaptive team to successfully complete this 1,400km journey.
Elizabeth Winfield, Chief Operations Officer at AFPST said: “We are incredibly grateful for Darren’s ongoing support, and we are wholeheartedly behind him with his latest challenge.
"There’s no doubt that it will push him to his absolute extremes, but it truly encapsulates everything that we are about – inspiring others, pushing boundaries, challenging perceptions and changing lives for the better”.
To learn more about the fundraiser, visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/darrenworldmarathonchallenge
