Pair break squash world record to raise funds

Squash enthusiasts Alex Preston and Michael Pearce have successfully beaten the world record for the longest singles squash marathon.

After much training and preparation, including 6-hour squash sessions and running 160 miles in a month, the pair took to the court at Tring Squash Club with a goal of 40 continuous hours, eventually clocking an impressive 40 hours, 1 minute and 59 seconds and beating the previous record by two hours.

Alex said “I can’t thank the team, club, volunteers, and my opponent enough for the experience and the achievement. It was extra special that a number of us were gathered together for a birthday lunch at the moment that we discovered the news of our certification by Guinness World Record.”

“My motivation in this stems from losing my amazing Mum last year to cancer. She provided everything to me and my siblings including building Thame Squash Club at enormous financial risk to herself and my older siblings in 1975. We wanted to raise money for Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity where mum spent some of her last days, and a squash challenge seemed a perfect way to do it!”

The pair raised over an amazing £10,000 which will be used to fund a new bladder scanner for the Hospice at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. At present, the Hospice has to borrow a scanner from the hospital or move the patient to where the scanner is located within the hospital, which can cause stress and delays for the patients. The new scanner will smooth this process, helping the Hospice team to improve the care they give to patients.

Michael added “It was a big relief to have our world record attempt confirmed by Guinness this week. Receiving the official certificate really helped the achievement sink in. This was a fantastic achievement for the whole team involved in making this possible.”