Royal Navy Officer Completes Weightlifting Challenge, Raises Over £3,000 for Charity

Royal Navy Flight Commander Rob Guest, 31, has successfully raised over £3,000 for the armed forces charity Help for Heroes through a 24-hour weightlifting challenge. He managed to lift approximately 450,000kg during the event, which took place between 09:00 GMT on 9 November and 09:00 on 10 November. Mr Guest, who is based at RNAS Yeovilton, commented on his experience: “I limped to the end. The support network around me kept me going and we achieved the full 24 hours.” Initially, Mr Guest had aimed to break the world record by lifting 600,000kg. Reflecting on the challenge, he stated, “We managed to keep moving for the full 24 hours, which I’m extremely proud of, but unfortunately the target was a little bit too brave.” He added, “The reality of that 15-hour point hit me like I’d run into a brick wall.” Despite not achieving his lifting target, Mr Guest expressed that he was “very grateful” for having raised £3,400. He further conveyed his appreciation, saying, “The only word I can think of is gratitude.” He continued, “The amount of support I had from the community at the gym and my partner Abby wants to make me cry.” He also noted, “Loads of people came – friends I hadn’t seen in years came in the middle of the night to support me.” Help for Heroes is an organization that provides assistance to veterans who have been injured or require mental health support. Readers can follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X, or submit story ideas via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites and provides information on its approach to external linking.