Community News From Around Our Area

Baddesley Ensor Village Endurance Athlete Shows Pure Determination

The 2022 Malvern Hills 9km endurance cross country walk was former soldier and ex-amateur boxer and WUMA current martial arts 4th dan instructor, Paddy Doyle's 726th fitness endurance career sporting feat. Doyle walked the course carrying a 50lb backpack completing in a time of 2 hr, 21 min, 2 sec. The Malvern Hills challenge walk has entrants from the armed forces, ex-forces and civilian runners and walkers.

"From the steep incline start line I had to drink water, there were also former soldiers plus civilian walkers carrying various weighted backpacks who were aiming for a good finish time. When I reached the end of the 9km it was great to see Malvern’s Deputy Lord Mayor present me with a finishers medal, " said Paddy.

Three days later Paddy was invited to the North Warwickshire Council House to an honorary awards ceremony and was awarded a special certificate and medal for his outstanding sporting career achievements, hosted by the Mayor, Councillor Tony Clews.

The River Leam in Leamington Spa was the venue on 7th October to attempt nine short course kayak feats weighed down with a kayak instructor expedition kit of 26lb in an inflatable kayak.

The kayak times and distances were - 1 mile 19 min 37 sec, 1.5 miles 31 min 00 sec, 2 miles 35 min 39 sec, 2.5 miles 41 min 12 sec, 3 miles 46 min 42 sec, 3.5 miles 54 min 05 sec, 4 miles 1 hr 2 min 38 sec, 4.5 miles 1 hr 8 min 44 sec, 5 miles 1 hr 14 min 57 sec.

Paddy said, "There were fallen trees and large branches at various points of the river but I managed to get around them without damaging my kayak. The support team were great once again, making sure I reached all of the checkpoints, plus they filmed where possible, took action photos and timed each distance which evidenced the kayak feats."

This now brings Paddy’s total career documented fitness endurance achievements and World Records to 735 covering 9 different sporting disciplines.