When Stevenage runner Jay sets his mind to a challenge, he goes all in. Not just any challenge, but one put forward by the legendary David Goggins. If you haven’t heard of him, Goggins is an ultra-endurance athlete and former Navy SEAL, known for his gruelling fitness challenges
Jay says:
“For a while now, I’ve been inspired by him and had a longing to test my limits by attempting one of his notorious challenges. The perfect opportunity finally came knocking”
This challenge has tested many runners. 4 x 4 x 48 mens you run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. Not only is this a test of fitness, but a test of mental resilience and endurance.
The Driving Force
“The catalyst behind my motivation is a story of resilience that touched my heart.” Jay tells us. “Seven weeks ago, I lost a dear friend’s Mum to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She was a woman of remarkable strength, facing life’s hardships head-on, and never backing down. Heather embodied the spirit of strength, courage, and hope.
To honour her memory and her fight against MS, I decided to turn this challenge into a fundraising opportunity. I wanted to do something hard, something that would test my endurance, something that Heather would have been proud of.”
Training For The Challenge
Training for this has been anything but ordinary for Fairlands Spartans runner Jay. Not only is he a regular runner around the streets of Stevenage, he is a multiple marathon runner, recently completing the Manchester marathon in an impressive time of 3 hours 12 minutes. Talking about his training Jay continues:
“I may be a regular and high mileage runner, but this Goggins challenge was a completely different beast and nothing like I’ve ever faced before.”
Jay completed the Goggins challenge on Saturday 4th May 2024
Fundraising & The Way Forward
Initially aiming to raise £500 for MS charity, Jay and Heather’s family have been blown away by the generosity of people. So far the total has reached over £900. An incredible amount of money for the charity.
What’s next for Jay “Goggins” Papa?
“Moving forward, I plan to keep pushing my limits. With several races lined up, including my maiden ultra-marathon this July, I’ll be logging in plenty more miles. And who knows? Maybe I’ll be brave enough to take on another Goggins challenge in the future!
So here’s to Heather—to her strength, her courage, her life—and to everyone out there who continues to inspire us to push our boundaries and become better versions of ourselves. Let’s keep the mileage coming!”
For those who’d like to contribute, you can do so by clicking through to Jay’s JustGiving page.
