Cheddar's bowler hat postman to tackle one of the toughest races on earth for military dog charity

A postman from Cheddar, who is known for wearing a bowler hat, will be tackling one of the toughest races on the planet to raise funds for a charity that provides assistance dogs for disabled military and emergency service personnel.

Ian Maclachlan will be running the 251km Marathon des Sables in April, to raise money for Hounds for Heroes.

Ian, who is the World Bog Snorkelling Champion for the over-50s, is taking on the epic in the Sahara region of Africa over six stages from April 2.

He is attempting to raise £2,000 for the charity, and chose it because he has strong links to the armed forces, having served in the Royal Air Force from 2005 to 2009, and his son-in-law is a retained firefighter.

Ian said: "Educated in South Africa, I served as a conscript in the South African Defence Force in 1984 and 1985, and then eight years on the reserves, doing annual 30 to 90-day call-ups for a further eight years.

"I have been coaching hockey since 1985 when, as a young Lieutenant, I was seconded to Military Intelligence to run sports development camps in rural areas throughout my home province, Natal.

"I was lucky that I was working with youngsters, in a sporting context, although I saw enough of the sharp end of the stick, when I was involved in call-ups after my two years' National Service.

"I was involved in a peace keeping role during my last call-up in 1994, just prior to the first free elections, at which Nelson Mandela was elected. I am very proud of the work I did then.

"I was a member of 4624 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force from 2005 to 2009, which included a 12-month mobilisation, and a spell in the United Arab Emirates, in support of our troops in Afghanistan, and a spell at Royal Air Force Brize Norton.

"I have continued my hockey coaching alongside a regular job, since 1985. It was in 1995 that I travelled to Zimbabwe to take up my first professional coaching roll.

"In Zimbabwe I served as national coach, selector, and player/coach. I travelled to the UK in 1998 to coach here for the first time and remained ever since.

"I have just recently retired from coaching, to pursue charitable projects, and complete my BSc in sports psychology with The Open University.

"The charitable projects idea I refer to came about, just as a thought, in 2012. Working as a postman in Witney, Oxfordshire, I discovered that a couple of my customers were patrons of a Zimbabwean orphanage with the Rutendo Trust, and so I cycled from John O' Groats to Land's End to raise funds for them.

"I have been lucky enough to have enjoyed a good sporting life and wanted to return a little to society with what is left in my ageing legs.

"I wanted to raise funds for four charities - an international charity which has been done, a national charity which I am about to do, a local charity, and an animal charity.

"So, the cycle and the Marathon des Sables are just two of the challenges along the way. I am yet to finalise the other two, but a 700km mountain cycle across Alaska in winter and the Munga Trail in South Africa are a couple of options I am considering for the future."

To sponsor Ian's efforts, you can visit his JustGiving page here.