A FROME man who took part in the ‘world’s toughest race’ has raised an impressive £7,222 for charity!
Andrew Barr-Sim pushed himself to his limits as he raced 171 miles on foot across the Grand Canyon in America to raise much-needed funds for the Hamlet Charity which looks after children with complex needs, including his god-daughter, Isabelle Wright, who has Angelman syndrome – a rare neuro-genetic condition that causes physical and learning disabilities.
Andrew, who came 19th overall and was also the winner in the 60-69 year age group, said he hoped to raise £3,000 for charity but at the time of writing, he has raised £7,222!
Speaking about the challenge, Andrew said, “This event does border on the insane! I have done a few different events that are extreme such as the Marathon Des Sables and a colder one in Iceland but I thought that at the age of 63 this would be my final swansong on these ultra events.
“The Grand to Grand was smaller in comparison as there were only 51 competitors who started and only 30 finished which goes to show just how brutal it is. This was by far the toughest challenge I have taken on but the typography and the terrain was quite extraordinary as we were going through deep valleys, river beds, climbing up steep hills and parts of mountains and some of the views were incredible to behold.
“The toughest stage of this challenge was the double marathon which was 52 miles and it took me 27 and a half hours of non-stop going. What got me through this was knowing that I was doing it for such a great cause and that the money would do so much good for the Hamlet Charity, but there was also a great sense of comradeship with the other runners.
“The feeling when I finished was just amazing – the immediate reaction was one of relief but I actually felt that I got stronger as the days went on. I took huge risk in putting my body on the line for this but I trained hard so there was an enormous feeling of achievement and helped out a fantastic charity.”
The Grand to Grand Ultra is 171 miles in six stages, over seven days and involves running self-supported through the Utah and Arizona desert. It starts at the awe-inspiring north rim of the Grand Canyon and finishes on the summit of the Grand Staircase, one of the world’s most iconic geological formations.
Andrew’s fundraising page is still open – to donate to his cause visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/andrewgrand2grand
