A Wigan dad is planning a three-stage 'painathon' as he bids to raise £10k for Daffodils Dreams
A Wigan dad known for taking on unusual and gruelling challenges has started training for his next tough fund-raiser.
Nigel Brookwell, 52, has set himself three physical tasks which will see him push his body to the limit.
He has dubbed the challenge Nige’s Painathon and aims to raise £10,000 for Daffodils Dreams, which supports vulnerable children and families in Wigan.
Nigel said: “I moved to Crooke Village last July, so this is where I got the silly idea from. I’m going to pull a barge from Wigan Pier to Crooke Village.
"When I get there, I’m going to decouple from the barge and walk barefoot, with a 35kg sandbag, to the centre of Wigan, taking in the pubs and cafes. That route will be along Woodhouse Lane probably.
"When I get to the centre of Wigan, I’m going to get on my hands and knees and crawl to the Boar’s Head pub in Standish.”
Nigel’s previous challenges have included crawling from Wigan to Standish, which took eight and a half hours, while he has also walked there wearing only a kilt and carrying a sandbag, spent the night blindfolded in stocks outside St Wilfrid’s Church and walked back to Wigan the following day.
He said: “This time I am bringing in elements of what I have done before, except for the barge pulling, because it’s so difficult to come up with something that’s original. I think people will forgive me for repeating something that’s been successful.
"You have to go where the people are. There is no point pulling a barge where there are just a few people walking a dog.”
Last summer, Nigel walked from Wigan town centre to Standish wearing a vintage deep-sea diving suit, complete with a helmet, boots and lead weights, which weighed around 80kg.
He received sponsorship and collected donations at pubs and cafes along the route.
He said: “I wanted to raise £10,000 for Daffodils Dreams and it topped out at about £6,200, which I know is a good result and the money went to good use, every penny of it, but I want to raise £10,000 this time and I think it can be done.”
Nige’s Painathon is expected to take place in June, though a date has not yet been confirmed.