Two local men are taking their fundraising efforts for Gumboot Friday to the extreme – completing an Ironman to raise as much cash as possible.
Glen Martin and Dave Orme will be swimming 3.9 km at the Richmond Aquatic Centre, cycling 180 km around the Saxton Velodrome, and finishing with a 42.5 km marathon at the Saxton athletics track, the equivalent of an Ironman race.
This isn’t their first fundraising effort, but it’s certainly the toughest. Their previous stationary cycling event in 2022 smashed their $5000 goal by quadrupling it. This time, they’re hoping to raise at least $10,000 for the mental health charity, though both men believe the community can far surpass that.
“Why an Ironman? Well, after the bike ride fundraiser we did a couple of years ago, which raised almost $22,000, we wanted to push ourselves harder,” says Glen.
“It’s all about doing something that people can appreciate, you know, so they’ll hopefully be more generous.”
The challenge isn’t just physical, though. Dave pointed out the mental battle they’ll face as they circle the velodrome and track for hours.
“It’s easy when you’re heading towards a destination, but when you’re going round in circles, the mental side is huge,” he says. “We’ll be leaning on each other a lot to get through.”
Starting at 5:30am this coming Saturday with the swim, they aim to wrap up around midnight. The velodrome will be a hive of activity, with a bouncy castle, bake sale, and even a barbecue manned by Glen’s father. “I’m looking forward to a big steak sandwich during the bike,” Glen joked.
The pair are no strangers to endurance sports, thanks to their background in CrossFit, but neither has completed an Ironman before. The plan is to stay hydrated, keep eating and power through the toughest moments together.
Glen and Dave encourage locals to come along and support them. Whether it’s cheering them on, buying a cupcake, or just soaking up the atmosphere at the velodrome. Or you can donate to their effort by visiting Givealittle and searching ‘Ironman Challenge’.
