Final charity challenge for Portsmouth dad's 21 unusual miles sees him run along Southsea seafront in a mankini

A series of 21 challenges saw Ben Brooks travelling a mile each day in an unusual way to raise funds for Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association’s T21 Challenge.

Ben, whose six-year-old daughter Robin has Down syndrome, finished his epic series with a semi-naked public run which ended with him diving into the freezing cold sea.

The 34-year-old got a bad feeling when a friend of his asked if he could suggest a challenge in exchange for a donation.

Ben said: ‘I wasn't wrong – he suggested I did one of my challenges in a mankini. I decided that this would have to be my final challenge.

‘In the spirit of keeping it kid friendly, I decided to wear a tutu, something I fished out of Robin's dress up box from a previous fundraiser.’

During a wet and windy lunchtime on Wednesday, Ben was actually stopped by various passersby to put donations in the charity bucket.

As reported in The News last week, Ben took on this challenge to raise as much money as possible while also spreading awareness of Down syndrome and the great work of the Portsmouth charity.

Ben said: ‘It's great to be able to give back to a charity that has given so much to Robin and our family.

‘Stripping off like that, in public, running a mile and then diving into the sea is not something I could have ever seen myself doing before all this, but it has definitely been worth it for all the money raised and awareness we have spread along the way.’

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Ben’s final week included other challenges such as riding on the BMX pump track, a space hopper mile, family run, hopscotch and more.

He added: ‘The last time I visited the BMX pump track in Hilsea I snapped a tooth and needed emergency treatment, so that one was a lot scarier than it may seem.

‘Following on from that I did the space hopper for a mile, I ended up with blisters on my fingers and a bit of a sore back.’

Ben has raised more than £1,900 through his wacky fundraising campaign, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TheBenBrooks to donate.

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