A RETAINED firefighter from Cowbridge will take on two gruelling back-to-back marathons to raise money for a charity that helps serving and retired firefighters to live healthier and happier lives.
Tim Bennett-Jones (35) will race in two consecutive weekend ultra marathons, beginning with a ‘Run Walk Crawl’ 50-miler on the Gower peninsula on 26th October, followed by an Off The Tarmac 30 mile loop, starting from Merthyr Tydfil then up Pen y Fan and down Jacob’s ladder on 3rd November.
Tim is hoping to raise £500 for The Fire Fighters Charity that offers specialist, lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community. Thanks to those who have very kindly donated, he has already reached £250 using an online GoFund donations page.
Moving from Porthcawl to Cowbridge with fiancée Georgia and two children Oscar (4) and Mila (2), the family only live a stone throw away from the fire station that meant Tim was able to apply to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) as an on-call firefighter. He intends to apply for a full-time role in January.
Speaking with the Glamorgan Star, Tim said: “The reason I’m doing this is to help in my own way to support a charity that provides life-changing support and guidance to those men and women in the fire and rescue service who dedicate themselves to helping those who need it.
“Mental health support is just one of the areas in which the charity can help, I strongly believe looking after your physical health can really help improve your mental health also, as it has done with me since my running journey began in 2019.
“I’ve been an on-call firefighter there [Cowbridge] for a year and I’ll be applying to go whole-time in January; it’s something I’ve wanted to do for many years and being on-call has given me the insight into this challenging and rewarding career, I’d recommend it to anyone who is thinking about joining.
“I live with my fiancée and our two young children, who mean the world to us. My family are supportive and motivate me every day to push harder and strive to do better.
“I have competed in a number of ultra distance races since 2019 and I’m aiming to do SWFRS and The Firefighters Charity proud in these upcoming races. My training has consisted of early morning/evening training runs and strength work in the gym. I have been increasing my mileage on the build up to the races. It’s almost time to taper the mileage down with only two weeks left.”
More information on how to donate to Tim Bennett-Jones’ charity JustGiving fundraising page for The Fire Fighters Charity is available online via bit.ly/3NzOTvK or by scanning the QR code below.
Further information on the Fire Fighters Charity is available via: bit.ly/4dR2WYG
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