In the early hours on the 9th October, Dale will be taking on yet another fundraising event for PACE, the Spartan BEAST. Alex sat down with him to find out more.

The Spartan BEAST consists of a 21 kilometre run, jam-packed with 30 obstacles such as travelling through ice cold mud puddles, monkey bars and scaling huge walls, all with the goal of raising money for PACE.

All-in-all, I would estimate that there are about 30 obstacles from start to finish. And of course, you’re running as fast as you can to the next obstacle as you’re being timed. My target is to finish the course in under two hours.

With most events, the Spartan BEAST race was pushed back a year due to the pandemic, and it has had some unforeseen consequences for Dale’s training.

I was training for this event in 2020 and of course Covid-19 hit the world so I had to completely stop my preparation. The event was rescheduled for this year of course, so I always had the race in the back of my mind, and as a result I couldn’t have the coveted lockdown belly like most people probably got. But it’s been great to get back into the rhythm these past few months and I’ve been really been pushing myself these last few weeks. I really can’t believe the Spartan race is nearly here. I can’t wait to get started.”

This isn’t however Dale’s first rodeo however. In 2019, Dale took part in what’s called “Tough Mudder“, in which, as you’ve probably guessed, there is a lot of mud. But how did Dale find this unusual passion for wadding through lots and lots of wet, sludgy mud while trying to overcome multiple exhausting, difficult situations?

Well, a total of seven of us are taking part, a couple of them are gym instructors who first got me hooked with the Tough Mudder and Spartan events. I love the camaraderie that sport can bring – as I’m sure many people at PACE can relate to – it’s amazing. My friends and I have all agreed to stay together and enjoy the experience as a team. Unless, of course I really lag behind then I’m sure it will put our friendship to the test, ha-ha.”

Dale started at PACE in 2011 as a volunteer, with his infectious enthusiasm and positive attitude, complementing perfectly the values of PACE. Dale always mentions how PACE has had a huge impact on his life, and how these fundraising events is his way of say thank you to the PACE community.

I owe PACE a tremendous amount. I constantly get inspired by PACE’s achievements, whether it be the countless Boccia medals, team leader awards, and most recently the fantastic Queen’s Award. It is truly an honour to be part of such a wonderful group and celebrate these achievements with them. It would mean the world to me if money raised from the Spartan race can mean more amazing stories yet to be written so, please do donate!

You can support or donate to Dale’s Spartan Race here.