Reaching thirty years of us affects us all in different ways, but it usually triggers a reaction one way or another.
Some decide it’s time to settle down and stop going to Shelley’s (now called the Chameleon), some treat themselves to a big trip abroad, while others just have a big cry and think about buying a Volvo.
But now Gary Marlow.
Gary decided that he would devote his year to his own ‘Do 30’ campaign. Like a bucket list drawn up 40 years too soon, the idea is that he will partake in 30 daring acts for 30 charities in an attempt to raise not £30,000, but £300,000 for charity.
Ambitious? Certainly. Daft? Probably. But Gary, of Manor Fields, Horsham, has already performed his first deed - a five minute dip in the sea on New Years Day.
Brighton’s mayor was among those who ventured out on a freezing cold afternoon to watch Gary taking a dip in the water around the pier (below).
Gary said: “I ran from the pier, down the steps with hands held aloft, hearing the cheers coming from the seafront and from the masses that had gathered on the pier - what a great feeling - and then wham, the cold hits you like a slap in the face from a frozen cod.
“I went straight under and my whole body froze over. The first 20 or 30 seconds was bitterly cold, then the body gets used to it. It was important to keep moving so I started to swim towards the setting sun - this was something I will always remember.”
But it’s only going to get harder for Gary, as his list of scheduled endeavours includes:
- Three peaks challenge
- Boxing with a former World Champion on top of Snowdonia
- A Bungee Jump from a Hot Air Balloon above 15,000 feet
- The Bognor Birdman Contest
- Firewalking
- London to Brighton bike ride
- London marathon
- Bobsleighing
Another of Gary’s more off-the-wall ideas include a world-record attempt for the biggest ever rock, paper scissors event.
Already, Gary has linked up with a number of charities for the Do30 campaign, including Help for Heroes, Bookaid, NSPCC, Kids First Trust and Kangaroos.
Gary said: “I’ve also been talking to Crisis and it could be that I follow Prince William’s lead and sleep on the streets for a night, so there’s a bit of a mix
of everything in there.
“It’s just something that has never been done before - 30 events for 30 charities. I’ve done charity events before but not on this scale. “
For more details visit www.justgiving.com/do30 or read Gary’s blog at http://do30.wordpress.com
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