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Mark Phillips, 48 a mental health support worker for Hafal has climbed Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons earlier this month to raise funds and awareness of diabetes.
This is the third time, Mark has taken on the gruelling Fan Dance march, walking over 14 miles (around 24 km) to scale the highest mountain in South Wales, standing at 2,906 feet (886 metres) high with a heavy backpack.
Mark, from Tenby in Pembrokeshire has previously raised money for Pembrokeshire guide dogs and Dystonia UK.
Mark said: “I chose Diabetes UK Cymru this year, because my cousin Gary has diabetes and as I enjoy getting fit, I wanted to do it for a good cause. said after the third time I will never do it again! But never say never. I’m now thinking of a marathon.”
The Fan Dance is the world’s oldest Special Forces test and is used as the first major indicator of whether a candidate has the physical and mental aptitude to complete the selection course.
The race goes vertical almost from the off, with a demanding climb to the peak and then a descend and another climb, the Jacob’s Ladder, a steep and unrelenting path back up to the summit of “the Fan”, the hardest part of the challenge.
Joseph Cuff, Regional Fundraiser at Diabetes UK Cymru’s said: “We want to thank Mark and say how impressed we are by this tough challenge, which may even inspire others. We are lucky that our fundraisers are so determined and creative in the way they keep on supporting us, even throughout the pandemic."
