Gruelling cross-country ski challenge in memory of Royal Marine hero
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Liam was himself serving in Afghanistan when his brother was killed and travelled back to the UK with Scott’s body. He says that the image of his brother’s coffin on the plane will be all the motivation that he needs to keep going.
Liam said, “As a group of family and friends we’ve raised money for Help for Heroes in Scott’s memory for the past 14 years. The cross-country skiing was Jon’s crazy idea. It’s going to be tough, because you have to use muscles in your back, arms and shoulders as well as your legs, but we wanted a challenge. I’m not sure if anyone has ever done this kind of distance before on this type of equipment.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“We’ve both got experience of endurance sports though and have been working hard to build up our strength and stamina. One of big our concerns is getting blisters on our hands.”


To get themselves ready for their gruelling challenge, Liam and Jon have been training after work, two or three nights a week, since the end of July, and think they will be able to complete the 42,195 metre distance in under four hours.
Liam added: “Scotty loved his family and lit up the room with his smile. He had a wicked sense of humour and was loyal, caring and brave, never showing pain. He has left a void in everyone's lives who knew him that can never be filled.
“I still keep in touch with a lot of the people he served with. We know what great work Help for Heroes does helping men and women who’ve served and their families.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdScott’s family and friends have so far raised £49,000 for Help for Heroes in his memory over the past 14 years, and are hoping that this latest challenge will take them over the £50,000 mark.
Liam and Jon are completing their challenge on Sunday 5 October at Newbodies Gym in Buxton. If you would like to donate to help them reach their target, go to Jon Towell is fundraising for Help for Heroes (justgiving.com)
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.