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October 28, 2002

DAD'S MARATHONS TO HELP THE DEAF

From: Romford Recorder, UK
Oct. 28, 2002

ROSS HINDLEY is on the trail of a charity fundraiser

A KIND-HEARTED Hornchurch dad will run more than 200 miles in a bid to raise vital cash for a charity that helps his deaf son.

Between April next year and April 2004 Daniel Brockhurst, 28, of Benets Road, will run in three major marathons in a bid to raise £50,000 for the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS).
Firstly he will set off from Greenwich on April 14, 2003, for the London Marathon's 26-mile slog.
Then he will head to New York in November 2003 for another 26-miler.
As if that wasn't enough, Daniel will put his body to the test with the ultimate challenge; the gruelling 150-mile Marathon des Sables – said to be the toughest in the world.
Daniel is a single parent and son Jack, now three, was diagnosed with profound deafness when he was just seven months.
Since then, Daniel says, the NDCS have been a constant source of help and support.
He said: "As a hearing parent of a deaf child, I rely heavily on support and information provided by the NDCS and its regional associations. Following the diagnosis of my son's deafness the NDCS have been a primary source of information and support for both my needs and my son's.
"Without their help I would have been lost. My aim is to raise a minimum of £50,000 for them."
This isn't the first time Daniel has embarked on challenging events for the society. In February 2000, Daniel joined a group to cycle 500km through rural India. The group started at Agra (the Taj Mahal) and ended at Pushja, one of the holy cities. Only last month the keen-fundraiser was at it again, this time raising £3,500 cycling 530km around China.
Daniel said: "There were 34 of us travelling through some incredibly remote parts of China. In many places we were invited to stop, have tea and chat, a real experience bearing in mind their lack of English and our lack of Chinese.
"At one point our group had rested on the road beside a shallow ditch. The entire village congregated on the other side of the ditch. Locals young and old stared at the strange site of 34 westerners in Lycra wearing funny coloured helmets.
"The local policeman explained to our guide that we were the first westerners to pass by since 1969.
"Before the hour was out the ice had broken. On the support truck was a Frisbee and before long England was locked in Frisbee battle with China."
For the trip to Morocco for the Marathon des Sables Daniel is now trying to put together a team of between six and eight people to go with him.
Daniel said: "I will be attempting to complete the London Marathon in four hours or less and with the New York one I will be aiming for a finish time of around three hours 30 minutes. The Marathon des Sables, has been labelled the toughest on earth. It is 150 miles in six days across the Sahara Desert."
Anyone who wants to sponsor Daniel, make a donation, or be part of the Marathon des Sables team can phone Ross Hindley on 01708 771559 or e-mail him at ross.hindley@ archant.co.uk

Copyright © 2002 Archant Regional.