Local tennis coach David Bryceland is to play a non-stop 24-hour tennis match this Friday to raise funds for a much-needed tennis court in Kosovo.
David will begin his marathon match at Bowdon Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club at 6pm on Friday and finish when he draws the raffle at 6:30pm on Saturday.
He's raising money for Manchester Aid to Kosovo (MAK) having been moved by the stories from one young tennis club member - and Kosovan refugee - Saranda Bogujevci.
David has already raised £16,000 for the charity with a series of triathlons, 10ks and half marathons, and recently completed the Manchester Half Marathon with his wife Becky.
He hopes to raise funds to build the all-weather court in the Podujeva Peace Park.
David said: “After meeting Saranda and hearing about her experiences, I wanted to do something so volunteered at a summer camp organised by MAK.
“When I got there, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There were no leisure facilities of any sort, and the buildings were riddled with bullet holes. It was unbelievable, a truly humbling experience.
“There were over 500 kids at the summer camp with the main focus being on drama, nature, arts and crafts. There was hardly any sport and no tennis whatsoever!
“As it’s been such a big and positive part of my life, I decided that we had to introduce tennis into the community there. To do that, we needed to build a tennis court which is easier said than done!
“We had to jump through all sorts of hoops to form and register a tennis club before we could even think about how we were going to build it.
“To put this into context, we’re talking about one court – the only one in the whole northern region of Kosovo. When you consider that Altrincham alone has over six tennis clubs plus courts at schools, you start to appreciate how fortunate youngsters in this area are."
David is feeling apprehensive ahead of Friday's challenge having been hospitalised with exhaustion and dehydration after attempting a similar challenge in 2019.
“It sounds easy when you say 24-hours non-stop tennis but it really is quite a feat,” he explained.
“Since that event, I’ve built up my stamina and I’m much more sensible about taking on liquid so am confident I’ll complete the challenge."
The event is open to all, irrespective of whether they play or have an interest in tennis.
As well as taking part in or watching the marathon match, people will be able to have a go at Pickleball, take part in the infamous ‘wheelie bin challenge’, sample a range of cakes and enjoy a bar and BBQ.
To register your interest, contact davidbrycelandtennis@gmail.com.
