Find out why a Wigan dad has been pulling a barge along the canal using only his own strength

But it was simply another day of training for 52-year-old dad Nigel Brookwell, as he prepares for a mammoth charity challenge.

He is aiming to raise £10,000 for Daffodils Dreams by taking on what he has dubbed Nige’s Painathon and it starts with him pulling a 15-tonne barge more than two miles from Wigan Pier to Crooke Village, where he lives.

Nigel said: “I pulled the actual barge, which is called Single Malt. It’s owned by a friend of mine, Carl Bentham. We wanted to make sure we got the rope length right.

"I pulled it from Crooke Village to Gathurst and back. We were very happy with it. It was important that I knew I could physically do it and I can.”

Nigel had a bonus training session about a week later, when a small barge broke down on the canal and he came to the rescue by pulling it from Gathurst to Crooke Village.

Pulling the barge will be the first part of his challenge, which starts at Wigan Pier at 9.45am on Saturday, June 27.

Nigel will then walk barefoot, wearing a kilt and carrying a 35kg sandbag, to Sherrington’s Bar, on Kenyon Road, Swinley.

He will stop at pubs along the route to collect donations and has been busy visiting them all recently to explain what he is doing and put up posters.

His route will take him to Crooke Hall Inn, Douglas Bank, The Barkley Tavern, Prince of Wales, Brickmakers Arms, The Old Pear Tree Inn, Real Crafty, Fifteens of Swinley, Charles Dickens, The Yellow Monkey and Sherrington’s.

When he gets there, Nigel will crawl on his hands and knees to the Boar’s Head pub in Standish to complete the gruelling challenge.

While he has no firm idea of how long it will take, he expects to finish the Painathon between 9pm and 10pm.

He said: “Physically and mentally, I’m ready it. I have always kept myself fit but I’m getting older, so the odds are against me.

"I’ve been training for it and when the going has been good, it’s been like a Rocky film, but it’s certainly not like a Rocky film the morning after when I feel like I have been run over by a truck and I have to do it again.

"Rest has been very important. It’s important to train hard, but I have to rest hard as well or it goes wrong. I have had to be sensible about it.”

Nigel will be supported on the day by around 100 people, who will join him on the route and collect donations for Daffodils Dreams, which provides essential items and life experiences for vulnerable Wigan children and their families.

He said: “I simply want to do this stupid thing to raise a few quid to help a charity that helps children and their parents to have some sort of stability and stuff to look forward to.”

To donate to Nigel’s appeal, go to localgiving.org/fundraising/NigesPainathon.