Jetting engineer John takes the plunge for his “best mate”

Lanes Group jetting engineer John Addison has taken the plunge for the RSPCA in a swimming challenge in memory of the pet dog he called his best mate.

John, who has worked for the Lanes Preston depot in Bamber Bridge, Preston, for four years, has completed the 100×100 swimming challenge at his local public pool in Darwen, Lancashire.

The event involved him swimming 100 metres 100 times, a total distance of 10 kilometres, or six miles, which he achieved in 3 hours and 50 minutes.

The challenge has marked a remarkable transformation in John’s health and fitness, as he has rediscovered a sport he excelled at as a teenager.

He said: “It was tough, and like a normal training session, just much longer! I really began to feel it 30 minutes after leaving the pool.”

John has raised £400, supported by a donation from Lanes Group plus his colleagues at work.

The money is going to the Preston branch of the RSPCA.

John says he wants to “give a little back” because his pet dog Simpson, a rescue dog, gave him so much.

Simpson had to be put down in December, as he suffered badly from the effects of old age.

John added: “We had Simpson a family pet for 12 years, and he was my best mate. It seemed only natural to take part in the 100×100 event for the RSPCA.”

But the desire to support the RSPCA is just one element of the journey the 37-year-old drainage engineer embarked on.

Over Christmas, he fell ill with pneumonia, and spent New Year in hospital.

John said: “I was lying in my hospital bed, thinking this isn’t on, I need to do something to improve my health.

“I had a 10-month-old daughter and I wanted to stay healthy so I could see her grow up, so I decided to make some changes in my life.”

John immediately gave up smoking and decided to get fit, by going back to a sport he had loved as a teenager.

He explained: “As a 14-year-old I was a county standard sprint swimmer, and was close to national recognition, so I decided to go back to swimming.

“The trouble was, I hadn’t been in a pool for 15 years. On my first visit, I managed four lengths before getting out of breath.

“But within a couple of weeks, I was getting better, and I joined the Darwen Masters over 25s swimming club.”

John weighed 22 stones when he started training. By the time he started the 100×100 challenge he had lost four stones. His target is to reach 16 stones by the end of 2015.

He trained for the marathon swim every day – under the eye of the same coach who trained him as a teenager. He also went to the gym three or four times a week.

John said: “People are already commenting on how I have lost weight. I have much more energy. Colleagues are even grumbling about how cheerful I am at 7am in the morning now!”

Lanes Preston Regional Manager Jeff Sharp said: “We’ve been really impressed with what John’s achieved. It shows what can be done with willpower and effort.”

Lanes Preston supports the RSPCA by clearing blocked drains at its rehoming centre in Longridge Road, Preston, free of charge.

John got the idea of raising money for the charity during one of these drain unblocking calls.

Now he is planning to take part in next year’s 100×100 challenge again – and reckons he can take at least 10 minutes off his time.

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