WORCSTER retired firefighter and Army veteran Dave Smith is limbering up to tackle the rugged Second World War Discover Adventure Pyrenees Freedom Trail Challenge to raise funds for the Fire Fighters Charity (FFC).
Also known as the ‘Chemin de la Liberté’, the trail traces an infamous wartime escape route from Nazi-occupied France into Spain. The six-day arduous trek reaches up to 2,500 metres high.
It starts at Saint-Girons in France, with journey’s end at Vielha on the Spanish Border, overnighting in mountain cabins.
Dave, 66, from St Johns, is currently the HWFRS Fire Fighters Charity Living Well Co-ordinator and a retired fire service watch manager and served 30 years in a variety of roles, finally hanging up his uniform in 2008.
His last 12 years were spent with Training and Development based at Droitwich and the Service HQ at Hindlip Hall, near Worcester.
Firefighting service followed a six-year career in the Royal Engineers, which took Dave to a variety of variety of postings around the world including duty with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, driving some of the Army’s biggest vehicles.
Dave, who with his ex-forces wife Wendy has three children – two of whom followed him into the Army – has notched up twelve international treks for charity, including a number of national events including the Three Peaks and Yorkshire Three Peaks, not to mention a ‘999 Challenge‘- staying in a Debenhams window for nine days nine hours and nine minutes.
Also under Dave’s belt are ladder climbs including a world record, and fundraising treks all over the world, as well as taking part in the 9/11 Boston to New York Cycle Challenge in 2005, ending in New York on September 11 itself.
Dave said: “Over the past 42 years, I’ve raised some £500,000, a tribute to people’s amazing generosity.
“£165,000 of this was raised when I coordinated a 9/11 fund-raising event in aid of the widows and orphans of the 343 US firefighters who paid the ultimate price in the Twin Tower attacks in 2001.
“All funds raised by me during my Pyrenees Freedom Trail trek will find their way to the FFC, with me paying all my own costs.Even though I’ll be putting my trekking boots on the mantlepiece, I’ll still be raising money for the FFC,” he added.
Dave’s journey will begin on Tuesday (September 6).
Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/david-smith412 for more.
