Gold Cup-winning ex-jockey Mark Dwyer will “row a marathon” to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) this Sunday (21 April).
As competitors line up for the London Marathon, Mark and National Hunt supporter Andrew Kitching will instead row the 26 miles.
The two men are aiming to complete the equivalent of a marathon in 210 minutes, using rowing machines in The Driffield Spa, East Yorkshire.
Mark, a leading jump jockey, was helped by the IJF when he retired with arm and shoulder injuries in 1997. Mark won the 1985 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Forgive N Forget and in 1993 on Jodami.
“I was very fortunate to have the help of the IJF when I was badly injured and now want to give something back,” said Mark.
“Seeing the work that takes place is quite inspirational, whether it is for those with relatively minor injuries or more serious, life-changing ones, which unfortunately are all too common.”
The IJF was granted planning permission in March for a second rehabilitation centre, Jack Berry House in Malton, North Yorkshire.
Their existing centre, Oaksey House in Lambourn, has been offering treatment to injured and ill jockeys since it opened in 2009.
To support Mark and Andrew, visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/DwyerKitching.