A determined young man was electrocuted as he tackled a gruelling 12 mile assault course – described as one of the toughest on the planet – to raise cash for injured ex-soldiers.
John Evans, who works at Bank clothes store at Eagles Meadow shopping centre, Wrexham, raised over £600 in aid of the Help for Heroes charity.
He and a team of seven pals completed the Tough Mudder assault course at Cholmondeley Malpas, Cheshire. Tough Mudder events are hardcore 12 mile-long obstacle courses designed by the Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.
Third-year-student, John, 23, who studies sport exercise science at Glyndwr University, said: ”It was gruelling, it was tough, it was muddy, but it was fun.
“I would definitely do it again. I went into swamps and even got electrocuted. That obstacle was called electrotherapy. It was the very last one.
“You could see the finish line on the other side and you had to run through these electric wires to get there. I got shocked three or four times and the last one just sent me to the floor. It’s powerful. It was a proper electric shock.
As well as being electrocuted brave John, from Wrexham, swam through freezing water filled with slabs of ice.
He said: “There’s a wooden block in the middle of the water and you’ve got to go underneath and back up and out the other side.
“When you come up the other side it really takes your breath away because it’s just so cold. It was filled with ice so it was absolutely freezing.
“I felt relieved when I finished the course. It took about four and a half hours. It was a really good feeling to finish and you get a pint at the end of it so it’s well worth it. I was sore for about six days afterwards.”
Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley was full of admiration for John.
He said: “Credit where it is due, John put himself through the pain barrier but it was all in a good cause.”
John is a keep squash player who used to be ranked as high as 4th in Wales and hopes to become a fitness instructor.
He said: “I love working at Bank and I like Eagles Meadow as a place because I think it’s given Wrexham something a bit different, a nice shopping centre it didn’t have. You’ve got the restaurants you got the cinema, the bowling, and new shops like Debenhams, so all things that Wrexham didn’t have before.”
Help for Heroes support people who have suffered a life-changing injury or illness whilst in serving the Armed Forces. They provide financial assistance and a long term support network to help them and their families on your road to recovery
John added: “Help for Heroes is a worthwhile cause. Soldiers who have been wounded need support, and people shouldn’t forget about them.”
