Lincoln strongman pulls 27-tonne lorry for Gainsborough suicide charity

To mark a decade of charity challenges, Lincoln strongman Dave Johnson recently pulled a 27-tonne lorry in aid of Gainsborough based suicide prevention charity, the Bearded Fishermen.
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On Saturday, July 25, Dave had set out to pull a 27-tonne Flying Hire truck 25 metres from one of the company’s compounds in North Scarle, Lincolnshire as part of his 10th anniversary challenge.

On the day though, Dave exceeded all expectations by completing more than one challenge.

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He began by pulling a 14-tonne lorry 20 metres, then a 27-tonne lorry more than 20 metres, before attempting to pull a 50-tonne lorry more than ten metres.

Lincoln Strongman Dave Johnson with the Bearded Fishermen co-founder Mick LeylandLincoln Strongman Dave Johnson with the Bearded Fishermen co-founder Mick Leyland
Lincoln Strongman Dave Johnson with the Bearded Fishermen co-founder Mick Leyland

Dave, who first began participating in strongman challenges in 2010 in memory of his friend Mark Browne, who passed away in 2012 after a battle with cancer, has since taken on a new challenge each year involving car deadlifts and bus and lorry pulls.

Dave said: “We had a fantastic day at the truck pull event, where I was surprised to have exceeded my own expectations.

“I firmly believe that mental health is just as important as physical health and that’s why I wanted to dedicate this year’s challenge to the Bearded Fishermen which provide vital mental health services for people in Lincolnshire.

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"I’d like to thank everyone for the incredible support and those who have kindly donated to the JustGiving page.”

Rick Roberts, co-founder of the Bearded Fishermen, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Dave for dedicating his 10th anniversary challenge to our charity, and for exceeding his £200 target after raising £447 in total so far.

“We had to get involved with the challenge somehow and I couldn’t resist giving the truck pull a go myself, I managed to pull the 14-tonne lorry which was a fantastic achievement and great fun . ”

The Bearded Fishermen have now opened a new community hub and call centre based at Mercury House in Gainsborough.

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They’ve also launched a dedicated suicide prevention helpline for those needing access to mental health services.

Rick added: “The money which Dave has raised will go towards specialist training for the volunteers who are very kindly helping out at our new call centre in Gainsborough.”

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