Gym for Heroes co-founder selected to carry Olympic torch

4 July 2011 – Alan Haresign, a consultant at Finmeccanica Company, Vega, has been selected to carry the Olympic torch on 13 July 2012, in recognition for his outstanding charitable endeavours in aid of Help for Heroes.

Alan co-founded Gym for Heroes – the UK’s largest physical activity-based endurance challenge, which can take place in any gym or military facility – in 2010, in aid of Help for Heroes. To date, the initiative has raised £225,000, through a variety of 3, 9, 12 or 24-hour challenges, as well as Junior Gym for Heroes which encourages school children of all ages to take up any suitable gym challenge.

As well as organising the entire event with his co-founder, Sophie Fisher, Alan participated in the 2010 12-hour challenge, cycling, rowing and running the greatest total distance of 198km. In 2011, he doubled his efforts by completing a mammoth 24-hour challenge – cycling, rowing and running in a gym for eight hours each, continuously – reaching a staggering distance of 401.3km.

Alan, 50, was among “tens of thousands of exceptional nominations” for the torch relay, according to the Olympic organisers, and will be carrying the torch in Branksome, Dorset, just two weeks before the Olympic Games officially start in London.

Upon hearing of his selection, Alan said: “This is a great honour, but as with most nominations, it is generally the individual that is most supported who appears to reap the rewards. This was a team effort – not just by the Gym for Heroes team, but from all those who took part in the events.”

Following his endeavours with Gym for Heroes, Alan’s next endurance challenge is in support of Heroes Mind (in aid of Help for Heroes and Mind). This challenge will involve running seven marathons in seven days with 200 people running as a team from Manchester to London in October 2012.

Further information
For further information, please contact Mark Gunning on mark.gunning@vega.co.uk..

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