By Martyn Herman CAMBERLEY, England, March 20 (Reuters) - Strapped into a harness attached to a rope and a gleaming 1.5‑ton vintage Land Rover, British army veteran Darren Hardy leaned forward, braced
Former British Soldier Pulls Land Rover 100 km to Raise Funds for Rare Disease
Darren Hardy’s Grueling Challenge to Support H-ABC Awareness
By Martyn Herman
The Start of an Extraordinary Feat
CAMBERLEY, England, March 20 (Reuters) - Strapped into a harness attached to a rope and a gleaming 1.5‑ton vintage Land Rover, British army veteran Darren Hardy leaned forward, braced himself, grimaced and began to pull.
If all goes to plan, Hardy will do that for the next 100 hours, hauling the vehicle 100 km up and down a tarmac runway at Blackbushe Airport, southwest of London, to try to raise awareness and funds for H‑ABC, an extremely rare and incurable degenerative brain disease - and to set a new world record for a vehicle pull.
The former Royal Engineer is no stranger to extreme feats, but says hauling the red Land Rover more than the distance of two marathons up and down an old runway at Blackbushe Airport southwest of London will be his biggest test yet.
Physical and Mental Demands
He anticipates he will burn around 50,000 calories over four days and nights, destroy three pairs of trainers, consume 50 litres of water and boxes of energy gels.
Apart from the brute strength needed, the monotony and sleep deprivation will test his mental resilience to the limit.
"That is the struggle," he told Reuters. "There's not a lot to look at here, it's pretty bleak, especially at night time it's gonna be tough.
"But part of me sort of thrives in that environment. I feel a bit of self-worth in there, really digging deep and really testing the body and the mindset."
Support and Inspiration
Among those watching Hardy begin his attempt were his partner Ellie, their daughters Georgia and Jessica, and Ellie's son George, who will do shifts steering the 1981 prototype Land Rover -- one of two in existence.
Also present was 17‑year‑old Aggie Candy‑Waters, who was diagnosed with H‑ABC in 2015 and can no longer walk or speak, along with another young sufferer, Frankie Sheridan‑Hill.
Fundraising Efforts
Hardy aims to raise 100,000 pounds ($133,000) on top of the 120,000 pounds he has already collected for the H‑ABC Foundation.
"Darren was really touched by our story," said Aggie’s mother, Ali. "He's incredible — he's a machine. Aggie loves Darren but thinks he's a bit crazy. We're truly grateful, because with such a rare disease it's very difficult to raise awareness."
Hardy’s Background and Motivation
Discharged from Army with PTSD
DISCHARGED FROM ARMY WITH PTSD
Hardy was discharged from the British army in 2017 with complex PTSD following service in Iraq.
Pushing Limits with Extreme Challenges
He has since taken on what he describes as "insane" challenges, including five marathons in 50 hours, 10 triathlons in 10 days, and dragging a 1.5‑ton BMW for 47 kilometres.
For this attempt, he plans to survive on no more than 20‑minute naps.
"I just want to see how far I can go -- something completely outrageous," he said.
Adapting to Obstacles
Hardy was briefly forced to adjust his plan on Friday after realising one end of the runway sloped more than expected, prompting him to shorten the course to flatter ground.
Asked how he would pass the long hours ahead, Hardy said he would avoid music or podcasts, choosing instead to make video calls with Aggie -- and spend time alone with his thoughts.
Purpose and Hope
For him the pain and isolation are secondary. What mattered, he said, was creating momentum for families waiting for hope -- one step at a time.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
