Yahoo News Man carries full-sized piano up a mountain
A Penarth athlete has successfully carried a full-sized piano up Garth mountain in Wales. Extreme adventurer and fitness coach Max Glover hauled the 400lb musical instrument up the 2-mile ascent on Sunday, to raise funds for the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital Charity.
The 33-year-old former Marine is no stranger to intense challenges, running a marathon in 2019 with a 1.7 tonne car attached to his back.
Having completed such a gruelling test of endurance, he decided to take on another unconventional feat this year.
'I have always been a bit different, I guess,' Glover tells Runner’s World UK.
Determined to pursue his goal and to raise money for the hospital that supported his close friend, he began a strength training programme last year. The strict plan entailed “squats, Romanian deadlifts, farmers walks, weighted step-ups and other similar compound exercises.”
When lockdown restricted access to gyms, Glover relocated his training to outdoor spaces.
'I just carried heavy things in a backpack and just kept increasing the weight and walking up hills,' he reveals.
'I bought a bergen (infantry rucksack) as I know they can handle a lot of weight and put dumbbells in there to take to the field or park.'
Glover was faced with a series of obstacles throughout this training period, including injury and illness. His preparation was thwarted by Achilles pain in July and a sudden onset of poor health in the two weeks prior to the event.
Rather than demotivating him, these adversities only pushed him harder to accomplish his goal.
'I think being in the Marines was the foundation for having the strength of mind and determination to complete something like this,' he says.
Accompanied by a small group of supporters called ‘Team Lungs,’ he reached the summit in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
After removing the weight from his back and gulping down a well-earned coffee, the victorious athlete and his crew were treated to a beautiful piano performance from a little girl.
'It was one of those magic moments,' Glover says. 'How many kids can say they played a real piano on the top of a mountain?!'
To support Glover's cause, you can donate here.
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