Firefighter to watch non-stop Fireman Sam during 50km run
Pip Waite expects the challenge to take five or six hours to complete
- Published
An on-call firefighter is set to attempt an ultra marathon on a treadmill in full gear while watching non-stop episodes of Fireman Sam.
Pip Waite, based at Swadlincote fire station in Derbyshire, will take on the challenge in August in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity.
She says she expects the theme tune from the children's TV show to be stuck in her head "for weeks" after the run, which is estimated to take her five or six hours to complete.
The 26-year-old, who works at Fight Station kickboxing gym in Church Gresley, has been training for the feat since November.
She said: "Last year I did my first-ever half marathon so I thought, why not do an ultra marathon on a treadmill?
“So I'm undertaking a challenge of an ultra marathon, which is 50km, in full fire kit, with a fire tunic and fire leggings.
“The kit keeps us safe but it’s also very hot, it retains the heat.
“And I’m doing it while watching Fireman Sam, which is a bit silly. It’s probably the worst bit of it - I suspect the theme tune is going to be in my head for weeks afterwards.”
Fireman Sam episodes will be screened throughout the challenge
She chose to support the charity after it helped her fiancé Adam, a firefighter based at East Midlands Airport in Castle Donington, following a car crash in 2022 that left him with two fractures to his spine.
She said: “They helped him with support from physiotherapy and his mental health too."
Ms Waite will take on the challenge at Fight Station kickboxing gym from 11:30 BST on 4 August.
Supporters are welcome to attend, and there will be a visiting fire engine, a children’s sports day, Fireman Sam indoor cinema, colouring in, and coffee and cakes.
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