A local kickboxing champion has successfully completed a marathon whilst pulling a 1.25 tonne airplane all to raise money for charity.
Carl Thomas, 35 and hailing from Stockport, began the marathon dragging the Cessna Aircraft up and down the airfield at Elvington, near York, on Wednesday evening and managed to reach a top speed of around 2mph.
All funds raised from the challenge will go to Ollie’s Army Battling Against Battens.
Carl has set the target of raising a total of £250,000 to help fund a clinical trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital to prevent the loss of vision in children with CNL2 Batten Disease. Batten disease is an incurable illness which affects the nervous system, causing seizures, visual impairment, mobility loss and early death, and there is currently no cure or life-extending treatments for the disease.
Only symptom relief and supportive care is available at present.
Mike Carroll – whose children Ollie and Amelia both have the condition – said it was unbelievable to watch Mr Thomas complete the marathon on Thursday and added that it had been quite emotional to see him push himself to the absolute limit for children with the disease.
Ollie, nine, was diagnosed with the condition in 2015 and his sister Amelia, now seven, was diagnosed a month later.
Carl’s last length completing a marathon whilst pulling a plane, in aid of Ollie’s Army
He said: “It was unbelievable to watch but also quite hard to watch because we were watching a man push himself to the absolute limit. It was very touching, near the end I felt quite emotional, to be honest.
“To think someone has pushed their body to the limit for my children, not just my children but all the children with Batten’s disease.”
Mr Thomas had hoped to use a lighter plane, but that became unavailable so he had to use a 1,250kg Cessna Aircraft and completed two-mile loops of the airfield without any assistance at the turns. Before the attempt, he said: “You cannot really train for this, but I have been pulling my car up and down in an empty car park.
“I’ve got to do it in 24 hours so I cannot take a break, I’ll not be sleeping so I will be pretty rough.”
He continued: “I’ll have a crazy level of exhaustion, but I’ve got a good support team and they will keep me going.”
You can find more information and donate to Carl Thomas’ fundraising efforts here.
Trending
Alejandro Garnacho set for Premier League switch as Manchester United shuffle attacking lineup
Danny Jones
Young Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho looks set to make a switch to another Premier League team as he has reportedly already reached an agreement regarding personal terms with his next club: Chelsea.
The promising winger, who graduated from Man United’s academy setup and has quickly made an impact even in just a short time in the first team, is now believed to be London-bound very soon, with Chelsea now “close” to completing a deal for the 21-year-old.
While there are no doubts surrounding his talent and potential, it is said the rift between him and the United head coach comes down to personality, character and conduct, with the latter not shying away from sharing grievances publicly.
🚨 Chelsea have stepped up talks with Manchester United over deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho. Clubs in touch on topic for some time & now advancing amid Benjamin Sesko joining #MUFC. 21yo winger wants #CFC or nothing + expects move to happen @TheAthleticFChttps://t.co/vdc1dtnA0p
According to The Athletic, it now looks as though after having agitated for a move, Garnacho has got his wish and is set for the capital, in a move which could see him become the 51st senior player to sign for the Blues under Todd Boehly’s ownership.
It is, quite frankly, a staggering number – especially given the fact that he only purchased the club back in May of 2022.
Most notably in Garnacho‘s case, too, it also raises questions around where in the Chelsea squad he will fit and how much regular first-team football (a guaranteed starting spot rumoured to be a flashpoint with Amorim) he will be able to enjoy should the deal go ahead.
For instance, besides the plethora of other attacking players at Enzo Maresca’s disposal, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that the west Londoners are also pursuing PSG’s Xavi Simons.
Nevertheless, the Italian journalist claims that “every detail of personal terms with Chelsea” has now been agreed, with the Argentine prospect now fully set on a move to Stamford Bridge.
You can see what other Manchester United transfer updates he gave in his latest video.
Romano goes on to state that the deal is effectively done as far as the player side of things is concerned, adding that Garnacho is now only interested in Chelsea since and has been since July.
Although negotiations are yet to begin with Man United, it looks likely that they will push to get a transfer approved quickly as they look to cover the costs of the other business, having already brought in a number of players.
Chester Zoo confirms sex of viral snow leopard cub after its first vet health check
Emily Sergeant
It’s the news we’ve all been for… Chester Zoo has confirmed the sex of its viral snow leopard cub after its first vet health check.
In case you need bringing up to speed, the new baby arrived to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, earlier this summer on 10 June, and since then, keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public.
But just last week, it was time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about, and the zoo’s cameras captured it venturing outside for the very first time.
Back then though, we were still awaiting confirmation of the cub’s sex.
Now, Chester Zoo has confirmed that the adorable ball of fluff was taken to the zoo’s specialist vets and carnivore keepers this week to be examined, weighed, vaccinated, and most importantly, ‘sexed’ – and finally, it has been revealed as a female.
Keepers say the playful new arrival is now eight weeks old and growing in strength and confidence every day, with mum Nubra watching over closely.
“At eight weeks old, the cub has undergone the first of two all-important health checks,” explained Mark Brayshaw, who is the Head of Mammals at Chester Zoo.
Chester Zoo has confirmed the sex of its viral snow leopard cub after its first vet health check / Credit: Chester Zoo
“These quick examinations by the zoo’s vets are really important for us to make sure the cub is healthy and in good physical condition.
“We recorded the cub’s weight, checked its heartbeat, eyes, and teeth before swiftly returning the cub to mum Nubra, [and] we’re very happy to report that the cub was given a clean bill of health and we can finally reveal that it is indeed a female.
“Now comes one of the toughest tasks of all – choosing a name worthy of such a special arrival.”
Snow leopards are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Stay tuned to find out the little one’s name, expected to be revealed very soon.
In fact, you might as well throw in your own suggestion – we’ve already offered ours…
How about Medo? 🥹
It means ‘little flower’ in Tibetan, the same as her mother’s tongue. 🌼
Emily Sergeant -
18th September 2020 
