Glenn Pope and Jamie Blair are aiming to boost cash for Movember by contesting the world’s longest tennis singles marathon.
Melbourne, Australia, 19 April 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Two ex-Australian Defence Power members, Glenn Pope and Jamie Blair, hope to set a brand new world document in Melbourne subsequent week.
The 2 mates try to break the Guinness World Document for the longest tennis singles marathon and create consciousness about males’s psychological well being within the course of.
Their problem, dubbed ‘Enjoying the Lengthy Sport‘, is elevating cash for Movember to honour the reminiscence of Pope’s nephew Mark, who took his personal life in 2021 and left behind two younger daughters.
Suicide is a number one reason behind loss of life for males in Australia, with charges even greater for these to have served within the defence forces.
Pope and Blair’s try and play for greater than 80 hours and 48 minutes begins at Melbourne’s Nationwide Tennis Centre from 7.30am on Thursday 25 April, following the town’s ANZAC Day daybreak service.
To interrupt the document, Pope and Blair might want to play till not less than 4.30pm on Sunday 28 April.
They have to observe strict guidelines to qualify for the document, which incorporates solely having five-minute breaks for each hour performed. Additionally they want witnesses to watch play always and are in search of volunteers to signal as much as assist.
“We’d love the group help, both by donating or coming alongside to cheer us on throughout the occasion,” Blair mentioned. “It’s going to be an extended match, so we’ll want all of the encouragement we are able to get.”
To arrange for the bodily daunting problem, Pope and Blair have been coaching onerous.
“I attempt to get as many steps in every day as attainable and get use to standing for lengthy durations of time,” Blair mentioned of his preparations.
“Other than once I’m in mattress, I’m on ft virtually all the time,” Pope added. “A lot of strolling carrying my tennis racquet. Enjoying tennis. Even when there’s no associate out there, I’ll have successful in opposition to the wall at house.”
The duo concede “the usual gained’t be excessive” however they’re motivated to boost not less than $10,000 for Movember by taking over the problem.
“We’re hoping to boost as a lot cash as we are able to,” Blair mentioned. “Success to me would even be to boost consciousness that Movember is a year-round charity. And the longer we are able to keep on the market, the extra consciousness and hopefully donations we are able to obtain.”
The pair can take confidence from a earlier world document try, after they efficiently featured within the longest doubles tennis marathon. That match, performed in 2019 with two different pals, lasted 61 hours and quarter-hour.
For anybody desirous to cheer on their newest world document try, their singles marathon might be performed on Court docket 18 on the Nationwide Tennis Centre in Melbourne Park.
> DONATE NOW: Enjoying the Lengthy Sport
Discover your approach to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!