Dan Barker, better known as Beefy, is a former Hartlepool Rovers player and a good friend I’ve known for over a decade.
He has completely blown me away with what he’s just achieved, and I feel like I need to tell the world – or at least the people of Hartlepool.
Dan has just completed the Ultra Jordan Marathon, a gruelling five-day race across the Middle Eastern desert covering a staggering 220km. To even consider it is insane!
Competitors had to run between recovery stations, hydrating every 7km in the sweltering heat.
At one point, his mam messaged my wife, Gemma, to say: “Tell Buster that Dan has just completed phase three – 40 miles in 11 hours and 22 minutes.” And he still had two stages left to go!
What makes this unique is that Dan spends a lot of his time working away offshore. His preparation was chaotic – he’d have to run on treadmills or do laps around the ship while offshore.
For him to find the mental strength and the heart of a lion to conquer the desert is mind-blowing.
People complete the Great North Run or the London Marathon, which are fantastic achievements, but this is on another level.
Beefy isn’t your typical athlete, which makes it even more brilliant.
His mam actually travelled to Jordan to support him, and if I’m honest, I think she went just to check he survived!
Everyone who knows him was genuinely concerned because of the sheer scale of the challenge. We didn’t know if he’d get through it, but he proved his immense strength, raising money for Alice House Hospice every step of the way.
As a physio, my advice for a challenge like this is usually to replicate the conditions during training. I told him, “Well, we’ve had a warm summer, get running on the beach!”
Getting his feet into perfect shape and choosing the right trainers for the sand rather than the road was crucial.
Since he returned home 10 days ago, we’ve had him in the clinic every night for recovery. All my patients do extraordinary things, but Dan definitely takes the award for this one.
On the same weekend Beefy returned, there was a special day at the Vic as Hartlepool United’s Class of ’91 promotion-winning squad returned to town.
Brian Honour invited me out with my heroes that night, and it was an absolute privilege. John Tinkler, Mick Smith, Steve Fletcher, Andy Davies, Paul Baker and Joe Allon were among those there – though it was a shame Paul Dalton and Rob McKinnon couldn’t make it.
We had a fantastic night reminiscing out on Scarborough Street. It was hilarious.
And seeing how much the fans still appreciate them 35 years later is brilliant.
It was a stark reminder of how important the connection is between players and supporters. That ’91 squad perfectly sums up what the current group is missing: true togetherness, passion, and dedication. Bring it back quickly!
Author: Buster
Author of Life With Physiotherapist Buster, covering all things sports and health!