Blind Dave off to third leg of challenge

Tuesday 8th April 2008, 11:37AM BST.

Intrepid blind runner Dave Heeley is moving one step closer to completing his epic marathon challenge as he flies to Los Angeles today for the third leg of his tour.

See also: Big send-off for Blind Dave

The West Bromwich man, accompanied by guide Malcolm Carr, will jet into LA today ready to run the third leg of his seven marathon challenge.

He will begin the run at the world-famous Rose Bowl at around 7pm UK time and is due to finish at around 11.30pm.

The 50-year-old is hoping to become the first disabled man to pull off the mammoth seven marathons on seven continents in seven days challenge. Only famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Mike Stroud have completed the tough feat so far.

Speaking to the Express & Star this morning Dave’s wife Debbie Heeley, said that he was being kept going by thoughts of his three children, Grace, Dannie and Georgie-Lee.

“I spoke to him last night and he said that he was very,very tired,” she said.

Read more in the Express & StarIntrepid blind runner Dave Heeley is moving one step closer to completing his epic marathon challenge as he flies to Los Angeles today for the third leg of his tour.

See also: Big send-off for Blind Dave

The West Bromwich man, accompanied by guide Malcolm Carr, will jet into LA today ready to run the third leg of his seven marathon challenge.

He will begin the run at the world-famous Rose Bowl at around 7pm UK time and is due to finish at around 11.30pm.

The 50-year-old is hoping to become the first disabled man to pull off the mammoth seven marathons on seven continents in seven days challenge. Only famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr Mike Stroud have completed the tough feat so far.

Speaking to the Express & Star this morning Dave’s wife Debbie Heeley, said that he was being kept going by thoughts of his three children, Grace, Dannie and Georgie-Lee.

“I spoke to him last night and he said that he was very,very tired,” she said.”The two marathons together have put a lot of strain of his body.

“They were really looking forward to getting on the plane to LA so that they could get some well earned rest. He told me last night that it was the children that were keeping him going. He has a picture of them attached to him and it is really keeping him going.

“He is looking forward to doing the London Marathon because he will have 40,000 people there to pull him through and he is also going to have friends running with him too.

Dave started the first of his seven marathons in the Falklands at a minute past midnight yesterday – with a Tornado fly past marking the beginning of the challenge.

The whole challenge will see Dave run a total of 183 miles and take in 250,000 steps in just a week. He is running to raise funds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind.



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