Matthew the marine needs your help for charity effort
FORMER Lynn News Sportsman of the Year Matthew Edwards will take part in a 100-mile run for charity aboard the warship HMS Monmouth as it sails through the Suez Canal tomorrow (Thursday).
Now a lance-corporal with the Royal Marine boarding team on the frigate, he and a fellow marine will each run 700 laps of the upper deck - equivalent to 50 miles - while a further 100 members of the ship's company compete in a 100-mile team relay challenge.
Both the 100-mile events are being run in memory of Chief Petty Officer Mike Till, a keen runner in the relay challenge who died on HMS Sheffield in 1982 during the Falklands War, and members of the naval service killed or seriously injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
The crew of the frigate, also known as The Black Duke, are competing for the Mike Till Trophy, awarded to the ship with the fastest time in the relay event. They are also raising money for the work of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
Matthew (24), from Clenchwarton, was the first Lynn swimmer to become a national champion on several occasions. He was the Lynn News Young Sportsperson of the Year in 2000 and also won our Sportsman of the Year accolade for 2005, when he was the British 200m butterfly record holder.
His father Steve said: "Matthew just missed the cut for the 2008 Olympics and sadly stopped swimming as a result. He joined the Royal Marines after a gruelling 32 weeks of training."
He was selected to join the fleet protection group based in Scotland and then, after a further six months of training, was assigned to the frigate HMS Richmond for six months patrolling the Gulf.
After eights weeks leave, he returned to the fleet protection group in Scotland but a fortnight later was sent back to the Gulf again - this time to join HMS Monmouth. He is more than five months through his second tour and was recently promoted to lance-corporal.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Matthew's run can contact the charity website via the following link:
Sponsor Matthew here.
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Weather for Kings Lynn
Sunday 01 August 2010
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
