Gym members to lift equivalent of 12 Jumbo Jets for charity

Dan Plant, managing director and head personal trainer of Kirkby gym, My Gym Space.

Managing director Dan Plant will lead a team of 30 from My Gym Space, of Kingsway, in the marathon lift, which will take place at East Midlands Airport on Saturday, January 21.

They are aiming to raise £5,000 for the CLIC Sargent charity, which provides help and support for children suffering from cancer, and also for their families.

“It will take us up to 12 hours, and we think it might become a new world record for the highest accumulative lift,” said 31-year-old Dan, who has worked hard to develop the invitation-only My Gym Space into one of the most respected gyms in Ashfield.

“We will be lifting the equivalent of an entire fleet of Boeing 747s, which amounts to just under 1.4 million kilograms. So if everyone lifts 50 kilos at a time, they need to do 900 repetitions -- and that’s quite a lot of lifting!”

The feat will be achieved by performing a powerlifting exercise called a deadlift, whereby a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the hips and then lowered back down again.

Dan insists the 30 members, whose ages range from 20 to 50, are in good shape to tackle such a challenge. Now they are all seeking sponsorship to boost their efforts. They have chosen CLIC Sargent, which is the official charity of East Midlands Airport, as their beneficiary because one of the members has a young relative who has been badly affected by cancer.

“We like to stage a charity event at the gym every six months,” said Dan. “Last time, we did a four-hour fitness class and raised £3,000 for a children’s hospital.”