A Manchester Thai boxing professional has challenged himself to run the 100k Yorkshire for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Scott Richards, 35 and from Whitefield, felt he needed a new challenge after mostly retiring from Thai boxing. He decided to take on the new and exciting 100k Yorkshire for Blind Veterans UK but added an extra difficulty by running rather than walking the entire route.
Scott comes from a military family where most of his relatives have served in the Armed Forces. His father served from nearly 30 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps where he met his wife who also served in the Army for eight years. Scott himself was born in Germany on the Army base and moved around the world with his family.
Scott says: “Because of my family I feel it is important to give back to the men and women who have served our country. They have put their lives on the line for us on a daily basis and should be supported no matter what.
“This is why it’s great to support Blind Veterans UK by doing this challenge. They support veterans no matter when they lost their sight and help give them back their independence.”
Because of his Thai boxing, Scott is already quite fit but is mindful of the fact that running a 100k is very different to giving it your all in a three minute fight.
Scott says: “I’m already at a fairly decent level of fitness because of the Thai boxing but will have to change the way I train to be able to do what I’m setting out to do. The mind-set however is the same and I will get across that finish line one way or another.”
Registration for the 100k, which will kick off in Denby Dale on Saturday 18 June, is currently open with a fee of £50. Teams taking part in the relay have a registration fee of £90. The all-inclusive entrance fee for participants includes lunch, dinner and breakfast at three rest stops, snacks and refreshments along the route and a free event t-shirt.
The 100k challenge is a joint fundraising event for Blind Veterans UK and Guide Dogs. The walk will take participants over the green hills, rugged moors and small stone-walled villages of Yorkshire and the Peak District and finishes at the Blind Veterans UK centre and Guide Dogs outreach office in Sheffield.
To support Scott as he runs the 100k Yorkshire for Blind Veterans UK, please visit www.justgiving.com/Scott-Richards3.
