Phill may not catch your attention on the streets as one of the world’s most creative fundraisers. Like most people, Phill has a full-time job and spends way too much time at his desk, however, he spends even more time risking his life and doing crazy things for charity. Well, this week we had the pleasure of speaking to Phill and learning what it takes to dedicate your life to helping others…

doing daft things for charity

…about his first “daft” challenge

Phill’s inspiration came from his friend who did a fundraising event for Macmillan and played 10 gigs in one day across Cambridge. He really embraced the atmosphere and the idea of raising money while doing something that people enjoy watching. So Phill decided to give it a try himself. His first challenge was a 24-hour fast (something I feel hungry even thinking about it!). Also, to make sure it’s enough of a challenge, Phill was giving away brownies at the same time…(stomach rumbling already…). At the end of the day, Phill raised some money for a charity and received attention from people who noticed him and offered sponsorship.

…about the “marathon” of marathons

“So last week I ran the Cambridge Boundary marathon, which I haven’t been training enough for…but I’ve survived”.

Phill may swear he will never do a marathon again. Well… he has already done a 50-mile ultra – marathon, and that is not even his longest run. This year he has signed up for a 90-mile running challenge. To emphasise how crazy this is – a 24-hour run, no route and no finish line. Each contestant is given a GPS tracker with an aim to complete a set distance in the quickest amount of time – our hopes are with you, Phill!

Doing daft things for charity

…about the hardest challenge of them all

   “There are certain things that every man should do in his life, like being able to survive in the wild, throw a punch, tell someone you love them and, of course, eat 10,000 calories in 24 hours” – says Phill in his blog.

At first the challenge looked like a piece of cake, literally, but it all went downhill very quickly. Phill started with an “easy” breakfast of 24 Krispy Kreme doughnuts, containing over 1,700 calories, followed by a chocolate milk and a couple of packets of Oreos to wash it all down. Feeling “fat” and “horrible”, Phill decided he needs to go savoury this time. He took a break and then moved on to a few large pizzas and a couple of bags of crisps. And if you are still feeling hungry, Phil finished the evening with another 2 pizzas for a dessert.

The next morning, feeling hungover from all the food he demolished the day before, Phill was still away from his target. It took another round of doughnuts and chocolate milk for Phill to finally pass 10,000 calorie mark. All completed in 23 hours and 38 minutes. The challenge was done with no intention to be ever repeated again.

10,000 calorie challenge

…about the fundraising difficulties

 “Finding the time to balance work and the things I’m doing for charity can be really tough sometimes.”

Phill decided to attempt his first triathlon which may not seem like a daft idea…at least not if you cannot ride a bicycle or swim… But as crazy as Phill is, he has set himself a goal to at try learn to swim and cycle, and finally complete a triathlon to raise money for a good cause. Fundraising can be tough. Phill admits that asking people to donate money is one of the hardest things he’s done. That’s why it’s great to use alternative fundraising tools like GoRaise, where you can raise money from your daily online shopping without spending an extra penny to support a charity. (link)

…about upcoming crazy challenges  

 What’s next on Phill’s list? Well, he is planning to write a book about his solo hiking across the Pyrenees for 31 days, do a 90 mile run this November… and even run a full marathon backwards! Do you have any daft ideas or challenges that you think Phill could try out? Just shout it out in the comments below – we would love to hear your suggestions, and so would Phill!