Darren Barker embarks on 1,800 mile fundraising challenge in memory of Ricky Hatton

Darren Barker: "I need and want to do 'The Longest Round' for Ricky Hatton and for all the people out there suffering"

Ex-IBF world middleweight champion Darren Barker prepares to embark on 'The Longest Round' - a fundraising challenge in memory of Ricky Hatton.

Barker is setting off tomorrow morning, August 20, in Edinburgh on a multi-week endurance challenge over 1,800 miles across land and sea, consisting of the following four stages:

• Cycling from Edinburgh to Dover
• Swimming the English Channel (21 miles)
• Cycling from Calais to Gibraltar
• Open-water swim across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco (9 miles)

Barker is raising funds for suicide prevention charity - Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), in which Hatton was an ambassador of. The challenge will raise funds for CALM's services, including the suicide prevention helpline and free mental health app CALMzone.

The 44-year-old retired boxer spoke to PresBox PR all about the torturous test and what's motivating him to do it.

I need and want to do this challenge for Ricky Hatton and for all the people out there suffering

"Basically last September, I had the honour and the privilege to speak to Ricky Hatton on a podcast. And days later he wasn't with us, so it really struck home and hit hard. And made me really understand what a terrible illness mental health is. I want to do something for Ricky, I want to do something to spread awareness. 

"I feel like I owe this to Ricky. He gave up his time to speak to me, so this is something I need to do for him, and I want to do - and I need to do for the bigger picture. I need to do this for all the people out there suffering, to know that it's OK to not be OK. I want to encourage these people to have these uncomfortable conversations, and hopefully save lives in the future."

This challenge and the charities mean an awful lot - this is about changing lives and it's a huge opportunity to make a difference

"It means an awful lot. It means that I, along with the team, and everybody else following this - that we have an opportunity to make a real difference here. This is about changing lives, helping people. This is bigger than swimming and cycling, this is a huge opportunity to try and make a difference, and that's what I want to do. You, I guess, go through your early stages of life, being selfish, and you're on your own journey, trying to fulfil dreams and aspirations to do this and that, and then you kind of - in my situation anyway - achieve that - and it's about what next. And for me, it feels right to help and just try and raise money and awareness for something now that has really resonated with me. 

"Even myself as a retired fighter, grieving the loss of boxing, grieving the loss of my brother, my grandad - understanding that grief is a part of mental health. So along with everyone else, this isn't just me - I may be getting on the bike and in the sea - but this is all of us pulling together and being there for one another. Let's be nice to one another, let's be there, let's support. So much hardship in the world as it is, so if we all pull together - we're halfway there you know."

Strength is speaking and having those uncomfortable conversations - it's OK to not be OK

"First off, I've never pretended to be a tough or hard man. But if someone on the outside is looking in and thinking 'wow look if a former boxer can talk openly and honestly about some of the struggles he's had, then so can I'. It's OK to not be OK, it's OK to feel down and vulnerable, but there are people that will help. Strength isn't silence. Strength is speaking, strength is having those uncomfortable conversations, and it's a starting point to recovery and to feel good. 

"So I really just want to get that message out there, that there's so many people out there that will help. CALM, being the charity that I do this for, they're the helpline, and they're fantastic and passionate about this. They really really want to help. And it's about letting people know that there are places like CALM there. That there are people trained to take your phone calls."

My biggest fear with this challenge is the fear of failure

"I guess the same fear I had when I was fighting. And that's the fear of failure. This is only a success, well first if I get to Morocco, and second of all, as long as lots of noise has been made around mental health. That's obviously the awareness. The money is obviously important, but like I've always said - money is always good to gauge how you're getting on - but the awareness, I just want that. 

"I want people talking about, not what I've done, but why I am doing it. So yeah I am a little apprehensive about not the magnitude of it, just not finishing it, but I was always like that as a boxer. I am naturally very competitive, I don't like losing but it is a potential you know. And it scares the life out of me."

CALM CEO, Simon Gunning, added: “Ricky’s passion for raising awareness so others could find the help they needed was second to none. In his first interview as a CALM Ambassador, Ricky said that he believed his job was to help people. He said: 'Bad times won’t last forever - you think they will, but they won’t if you go and speak to someone. No one should ever be scared to admit they need help. I promise you, it’s the best thing you’ll ever do'.

“Darren’s not only raising money for CALM’s services with his incredible challenge, but is continuing the message Ricky brilliantly championed when working with us. We can’t thank him enough for choosing to raise funds for CALM and show there’s always a way forward if you’re struggling.”

How to donate

The Longest Round is a fundraiser to support Campaign Against Living Miserably. If you’d like to support Darren Barker’s challenge, donations can be made via JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/page/thelongestround