A hero grandad who "dragged himself out of a dark place" has raised more than ten thousand pounds for charity. John Fairley, from Solihull, went from gorging on biscuits and struggling with his mental health to taking on gruelling challenges for good causes.
The retired JLR engineer quit his role at the car giant after a miserable Covid lockdown to focus on charity work. Over the years, he has raised £11,554 to support work helping the vulnerable.
With the help of personal trainer pal Alex Myers, his first adventure saw him take on The Lands End to John O'Groats Cycle Challenge six years ago. At the time, he raised £7,500 for different charities including British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research.
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But a miserable pandemic saw him turn back to his old ways and his mental health took a dip. "I was working from home," John said. "My life was getting up, having a shower and sitting for eight hours a day on Teams meetings. It wasn't pleasant."
The Elmdon dad-of-five - who has two grandchildren - piled back on weight he had lost over the course of ten years. But it didn't take long for it to fall off again when lockdown ended and he reunited with Alex.
"I would make myself a cup of coffee and have four to five biscuits," he said. "I got myself back into a better place."
Now, he is one of the oldest among more than 50 intrepid fundraisers set to conquer Ben Nevis this weekend. Today, April 22, will be his fourth time tackling the gruelling 4,400ft climb.
The group are climbing in aid of Warwickshire children's charity Molly Ollys. Bosses support kids with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The challenge was organised by Alex, from Stratford, who will lead the large group eight-and-a-half miles up Britain’s highest peak.
An experienced climber who has previously scaled Snowdon, John said he would play an "encouraging role" to make sure everybody else was OK.
"I go at my pace," he said. "I know that if I put one foot in front of the other I'll get up and down it safely."
John - who sees supporting the Guide Dogs charity as his main role - will be armed with the essentials for his climb. That will include a first aid kit, handheld GPS and plenty of sugar and protein snacks like jelly babies.
He added: "I'm very much a people person. I think we are put in this world to make a difference."
Alex - who runs The Better Man project offering emotional and physical support to men - called John a "constant source of inspiration".
Alex said: "When [John] first joined he was overworked, exhausted, drinking too much and had gained a dangerous amount of body fat. He has turned it around, losing 45 lbs of body fat and dragging himself out of a very dark place.
"At 56 years of age he has completed the gruelling 13-mile special forces trek through the Brecon Beacons whilst carrying a 55lb bergen. He has also conquered Ben Nevis in the cold of winter, Scafell Pike and the Yorkshire 3 Peaks to name a few.
"He is always game for doing new stuff like abseiling off rock faces, learning how to ski and riding his motorbike. His thirst for fun and adventure is something we all love about him.
"His new lease of life has allowed him to channel his energy into his family and John is taking his role as Grandad with the upmost responsibility. He spends as much time as possible with his two beautiful grandchildren as well as a being a committed father and husband."
To find out more information or sponsor the climb click here.
Email josh.sandiford@reachplc.com or sign up for an account and comment below.
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