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On 10 of September, Colin Thomson (42) will be raising money for Alzheimer Scotland in honour of his father-in-law, Bert, by braving the Total Warrior challenge at Balgone Estate, just outside Edinburgh. He will face mud, blood, electric shocks and lots of pain as he clambers over, under and through a punishing 30 courses (with names like “The Peaks of Pain”, “Widow Maker” and “Ball Breaker”). We caught up with Colin and asked him why he’s taking part:
“This is my first time attending Total Warrior. I was going to do it last year but I had a hernia. Tough Mudder’s a bit more well known, but I fancied Total Warrior as, to be honest, it looks more challenging – especially the ice bath! I can deal with pain, I can deal with discomfort, but that ice bath really worries me.”
“Fitness will probably be my biggest obstacle. Like I said, I was going to try it last year, but I got a hernia. I’ve always done kickboxing on and off as well, but I’ve got a wee boy now, so I stopped training to look after him. Now I’m just trying to make time for myself. I’m still not up to full health, but I’m going to give it a good go, and hopefully I’ll manage to complete it.
“When it’s done, I’ll probably feel relieved more than anything else. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I know that it’s going to be quite a challenge. But I want to do it in memory of how strong my father-in-law was in life.
“Bert passed away from dementia a few years ago. He was a big strong man, and to see him at the end of his days, as he deteriorated, was a really bad sight, you know? He was a keen bowler, so when he passed my mother-in-law organised a yearly trophy in his memory at his bowling club.
“There’s loads of charities out there but, because of Bert, we came across Alzheimer Scotland. I work in the hospital now, so I’m a bit more used to that sort of thing [dementia] – but, at the time, I’d never really come across it before. That’s why it’s important to support charities that spread awareness of this crippling disease. So I’m doing this for Bert, and for organisations like Alzheimer Scotland.”
Please help support Colin by visiting his fundraising page on Facebook.