Africa-Press – Gambia. Two Leeds lads have set out on one of the most gruelling physical feats of their lives, all while having to avoid food and water. Hassan Abrar and his friend Azam Khan are currently cycling and running the equivalent distance of Lands’ End to John O’Groats – or 874 miles – between them during Ramadan. This means for the two practising Muslims, that the combined daily distance of 29 miles must be covered without any food or water during daylight hours. With it being half way through the challenge, the Yorkshire Evening Post caught up with Hassan to find out how he was faring.
Having no water during the day is the most difficult thing for me,” he said. “The first week was already difficult but now the weather is getting a bit better, so we just make sure that at night we are fuelling up and getting plenty of fluids on board. I have been drinking at least three litres of water to make sure we don’t get dehydrated during the day.
“In terms of food, you need plenty of carbs, so plenty of potatoes, rice and bread, then protein – chicken, lamb or fish – and making sure we eat our veg to get nutrients on board.
“You do count down to the end of the day. With the challenge it is a bit of a relief to get the fuel back in your body, but it all links in with the cause.”
Hassan, 31, and Azam, 40, are raising money to go towards helping orphanages in Gambia, after the two visited the country last year and saw how some of the country’s most impoverished children had to live.We saw the things those kids are going through,” said Whinmoor resident Hassan. “They don’t know when they are going to get their next meal or even when they are getting water. At least we know that we are getting a plate of food at 8pm. It’s about thinking of those less fortunate.”
The two are raising money for the Akhirah Team charity, and are currently £1,200 towards their target of £5,000 in donations.
The duo are no strangers to these kind of extraordinary challenges during Ramadan, having also raised money last year by running 10k every day during the month of fasting.So what do family and friends make of the challenge they have set themselves?
“They all think I’m crazy!” he said. “After the first few days, we were struggling and they said ‘you don’t have to do it’, but between us we decided we would get our heads down and get it done, and here we are – we are still going!”
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