5 hours Ago By [email protected] (Craig Tucker)
Former Maidstone striker Simon Austin is taking part in a charity challenge organised by ex-Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. Austin and another Stones old boy, Nick Hegley, are on Kirkland’s team for the Six Peaks Challenge which will see them scale Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon twice in the space of 48 hours. Hegley is Austin’s best friend and played with Kirkland as a youngster at Coventry.
They will be raising money for a series of charities, including the Heart of Kent Hospice, who cared for Austin’s late mum, Sandra. The Six Peaks Challenge had been due to take place from May 2-4, just five days after Austin takes on the London Marathon. But he’ll have more time to recover from this Sunday’s exertions in the capital, with the dates pushed back to August 8-10.
He volunteered to take on the marathon, raising money for Children with Cancer, before it dawned how close it was to the original Six Peaks plan. “Chris was organising, through his Walking is Brilliant charity that he does for mental health, a normal Three Peaks Challenge,” said Austin. “He asked Nick and I if we wanted to do it and then he came back a few weeks later and said, ‘It’s not enough, we want to do more, we want to do it twice in 48 hours and make it more of a challenge if you’re still up for it’.
Nick and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. “You stop playing football and you miss having something to focus on, don’t you? “I was then out with some suppliers at work and they do the London Marathon every year, they two places within their business for Children with Cancer. “I attended a gala ball with them and one of them said, ‘I can’t do it this year’ so I said, ‘I’ll do it, I’ve done two half-marathons over the last year and quite enjoyed it, I’ll take that place’.
“So I signed up and about two weeks after that, I thought, ‘What dates are both of these?’ so I checked and I was like, ‘Oh, April 27 and May 2-4’.” Austin has completed the Great North Run and London Half-Marathon and training has gone well for his first tilt at the full 26.2-mile distance.
He’ll then be preparing the rescheduled Six Peaks with some hill-walking. “I’ve had a few comments, ‘If only you did that much running when you played’,” said Austin. “I felt quite comfortable doing the half-marathons at a slow plod, so I’m confident with the London Marathon and I’ll be fit for the Six Peaks.
“Obviously it’s a slightly different type of fitness walking up hills, so I’ll be fitting in some hill walks and stuff. “I’d read Kevin Sinfield’s book, Rob Burrow’s mate, who did all the marathons for Motor Neurone Disease. “It was touching, inspirational, incredible to read about their bond and friendship and the journey they went on.
“I was on holiday and I thought, ‘I want to do something’, so I started to explore what I could do. “I looked at running the border of Kent, or running to every non-league ground in Kent. “I was weighing up what to do and then a couple of weeks later Chris came up with the Six Peaks Challenge, and then the marathon came up as well.
“I’m doing this for the charities but equally for people that can’t do it, for whatever reason, whether they’re physically unable or mentally unable.” To donate to Austin’s London Marathon and Six Peaks Challenge fundraiser, click here.
