Cabbie breaking ‘fried breakfast’ stereotype in painstaking race training

Steve Smith, of Hillcrest Road, Hornchurch, has just completed the Playitas Challenge Fuerteventura half Iron Man race in the Canary Islands as part of his preparation.

The mountainous race, which saw him cycle for 90km, swim for 2km and run for 21km, has left him “confident” for the full Iron Man in Austria in June which will be over twice the distance.

“The stereotype for cabbies is that they are mostly fat and are eating fried breakfasts every day.

“There are some fit cabbies but they are few and far between but hopefully I can be an inspiration to older people to do these things. You don’t have to just sit in front of the telly.”

Steve completed the most recent race in just over eight hours.

“It was a tough challenge,” he said. “If your legs go on the mountains then that’s it.

“I was tired but a couple of days later the pain went.”

This has eased his fears over the full race which is over much flatter land.

“I’m feeling confident this time because I didn’t weaken on the mountains,” he said.

His extreme physical efforts are not just a personal challenge but he is raising money for Starlight - a charity which grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes for seriously and terminally ill children.

In the past decade he has raised £16,500 for the charity since he begun aiding them when he swam the English Channel.

“It’s a small charity, not one of the big boys, and the work they do is great,” he said.

To sponsor Steve call Starlight on 0207 262 2881 or visit starlight.org.uk

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