Former Commando on 24-hour rope climbing charity mission

Sam Sherrif says his friends think he is "crazy"

A former Royal Marines Commando is climbing a rope for 24 hours to raise money for a charity he has founded.

Sam Sheriff set up Reorg to support the physical and mental wellbeing of veterans, military and emergency services personnel.

He said he hoped to climb the rope in Newton Abbot, Devon, 20 times every hour for 24 hours from Monday.

Mr Sheriff said his friends thought he was "a bit crazy", but added that they appreciated what he was doing and why.

He said each set of climbs would take 20 minutes, leaving him another 40 minutes per hour to rest, eat and drink.

Mr Sheriff said he had been training in Devon for the challenge through snow, wind and rain.

'Knees will hurt'

The former Commando said he was climbing the outdoor rope using the "scissor technique" taught at the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre in Lympstone.

He said it was a full-body exercise, but the friction from the rope between his knees would hurt the most.

He added that he believed his challenge was "a world first" as records showed similar challenges had been completed using the "stirrup technique".

The challenge has already raised more than £10,000 for the charity he founded in November 2020, he told BBC Radio Devon.

Mr Sheriff said it was founded "to help those who helped us" through functional fitness and Jiu-Jitsu.

He said it was a new form of community "filling the void of brotherhood and sisterhood" when military and emergency personnel left the services.

Mr Sheriff said his wife asked why he did not make the challenge more achievable by doing 10 rope climbs an hour instead.

He said he told her he knew he could do that, but the challenge was "doing something you don't actually know you can do".

He said: "I'm going to go for this and obviously I'm going to do my very best. I've never done anything like this in my life."