ONE of the world’s toughest obstacle races is set to be attempted by a Wordsley fundraiser – all in aid of Mary Stevens Hospice.

John Mead will be taking on all seven UK ‘Tough Mudder’ events this year before he travels to Las Vegas to compete at the ‘World’s Toughest Mudder’.

The 39-year-old HGV driver is hoping to raise £4,000 for the Stourbridge-based hospice as a way of marking his 40th birthday.

John said: “I wanted to do something special to help people for my 40th birthday year and after speaking to friends and loved ones about who I should do it for, the charity that came up again and again was the Mary Stevens Hospice.

“I love doing obstacle course races anyway, so if I can do something like this and raise money for such a worthy cause then it’s going to be a great thing to have done and what a way to celebrate turning 40.

“Honestly, I’m like a kid at Christmas and I can’t wait to get started.”

Alongside the April to September Tough Mudder events – which are 10 to 12 mile obstacle races, often involving deep mud traps, high-voltage shocks and dangerous obstacles – John will also be running a number of half-marathons and other obstacle course races.

But in November, his year will culminate in the trip to Nevada where John and his fellow World’s Toughest Mudder competitors have to complete as many laps of a five-mile obstacle course as they can in 24-hours.

He’ll be joined in Las Vegas by his best friend Lloyd Morgan, owner of Morgan Electricals in Stourbridge, who will also be competing in the event.

Dan Malin, of Mary Stevens Hospice, said: “The lovely thing about John is that he’s so down-to-earth about this completely incredible thing that he’s doing.

“To speak to him, it’s almost as though you’re chatting to him about him taking a quick jog through the park on a Sunday morning, not tackling one of the most intense physical challenges anyone has ever done for us.

“The fitness and mental strength required to undertake a challenge like this, never mind complete it, is just incredible and we’re all in awe of what John’s doing.

“We’ll be following his journey all the way to Las Vegas, and we can’t thank him enough for what he’s taking on in support of the hospice.”

John began his preparations for the American challenge at the Ironbridge half-marathon in March, and will take part in the first of his Tough Mudder events in West London on Saturday April 30.

To support John and donate to Mary Stevens Hospice visit www.justgiving.com/john-mead-tough-mudder-1