Bristol Rovers fan Nik Weeks is no stranger to gruelling charity challenges and he will embark on another marathon effort in aid of worthy causes later this month.
Back in 2020, the lifelong Gashead ran an incredible five marathons in five days, raising more than £13,000 for TOFS, a charity which supports children born without the ability to swallow, after his friends' daughter was born with a condition known as tracheo-oesophageal fistula.
Nik's amazing effort also supported Bristol Rovers Community Trust and three years on, he is set to don his running shoes once again to support the club's charity arm.
From March 12-18, Nick will run seven marathons in seven days in a nod to the epic 7-0 win over Scunthorpe last season to clinch promotion, finishing at the Mem before Rovers' League One clash against Portsmouth.
“I’ve had an itch that I’ve needed itching for a while," Nik said. "The last event was during the pandemic, so we never got to finish on a matchday and also my dad was diagnosed with cancer two weeks before, so he was unable to see me cross the Memorial Gates.
"Thankfully he’s much better now so to have him there would be very special. To coincide the challenge with that amazing 7-0 win last May is a great way to involve the fans.
In addition to raising money for the community trust, which supports people facing a variety of challenges across the city, Nik will also raise money for Gas defender Nick Anderton, who is undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
“When the news broke about Nick’s diagnosis, it really struck a chord with me," Nik said. "Especially knowing that Nik has two young children like myself, it really hit home and with the full support of the community trust and Nick, I will also be raising money for him too.
“The community trust was so supportive during the last challenge, and I’ve made some excellent friendships with the staff there. The work that they did during the pandemic was incredible and as we’re a community and family club, I feel the community trust is the bedrock of our football club, and we should all be proud of it."
The Seven For Seven fundraiser, which can be found on JustGiving here, is already close to passing the £1,000 mark and Gasheads are also invited to take part.
“I’m also looking for a minimum of seven Gasheads who’d like to train and take part in one of the legs," Nik added. "The support was so good last time that it would be great to have more members of the Gas family to get involved with the challenge.”
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