An 86-year-old from Claybrooke Magna is strapping himself to the wing of an aeroplane to raise money for Rainbows.
On June 19, Brian Fowler will take on our Wing Walk where he will be on an aircraft soaring between 100ft and 700ft, reaching speeds of 80mph to 110mph. “I am really looking forward to the Wing Walk and I promise the more people donate, the more I will dance and wave my arms around,” he said.
There is no stopping Brian. Over the years, he has raised thousands for our charity by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, abseiling down Derby Cathedral twice and skydiving at 14,000ft.
Brian has also run 93 miles along the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path, walked the Pennine Way and trekked 192 miles Coast to Coast.
Brian said: “I am a passionate supporter of Rainbows. I have been fortunate, I have achieved the age of 86 years and enjoyed good health throughout my life. I have seen my children and grandchildren grow and flourish, but I know that sadly there are many youngsters who will never have the opportunities I have enjoyed.
“When I visit Rainbows Hospice, I am humbled and in awe of all that I see and sense. The love and care given by every single member of staff to make life that bit better for life limited children and their families is incredible. I am just helping Rainbows to make that happen.”
Brian takes pride in being fit and well and says there isn’t a lot stopping him. He has played a key role in athletics his entire life and continues to run competitively. Last year, he completed the Great North Run for the 26th time and then underwent a knee replacement in December. Being told he would not run again was the stimulus that sees him back in training, determined to be on the start line in September, hopefully running for Rainbows.
In 2022 he was part of Queen’s Message Relay in the Commonwealth Games. It was the second time that Brian had been a baton bearer, the first in 1958 when he was just 18.
Brian added: “I was born on February the 29th, so in terms of birthdays, I am 21. I try to do something special on my birthdays and this year, I did a wing walk and loved it so much, I thought it would be a great warm up for the Rainbows event.”
In the coming months, Brian plans to climb a UK hill every day for 12 days until he reaches 29,000ft, the total height of Mount Everest. He also wants to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco.
Brian added: “When I am 100, I want to be able to say, I am glad I did that. Not I wish I had done that, and if I can support such a wonderful charity along the way, then that is even better.”
Claire Hoggan, Rainbows Senior Events Officer, said: “Brian has done so much for Rainbows over the years and we can’t thank him enough. His wonderful energy is infectious and his love for taking on anything is inspiring. We rely on our fundraisers like Brian to bring palliative and end of life care to hundreds of babies, children and young people.”
To sponsor Brian, visit www.justgiving.com/page/brian-fowler-11