Blackpool dad Robert James to undertake 24 hour physical challenge in memory of late baby boy who died shortly after birth

Robert James, who works at YourGym coaching people to train for Hyrox events – a high intensity, strength and endurance workout, will be carrying one out himself for Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS) on Friday, October 13, after losing his son Reggie George in 2016. He will undertake 24 Hyrox workouts in 24 in hours. Alongside hoping to raise £1,000 for the charity, he is also using his loss as a platform to encourage more people to open up and talk about their grief after he was left feeling isolated and lonely.

Reggie George was only a few hours old after being born premature. His lungs were not strong enough to function properly and he ended up sadly passing.

Speaking of how he has coped since his son’s passing seven years ago, he said: “After he passed I found the whole situation very hard to deal with as it was a lonely time. Family and friends end up not talking to you as they don't want to say anything that's going to upset you which is understandable, but at that moment in time all you want to have someone around you and talk to.

"Even when it came to Reggie's mum I never wanted to be weak in front of her. This ended up in going to the grave once with her and once by myself to grieve alone every time.

“I decided that I wanted to use my experience to help others going through a similiar experience and also to undertake a 24 hour challenge for the charity SANDS as they provided a memory box which was so special. I’m looking to raise as much money but also encourage people to have more conversations about the topic, because I found it was very lonely. I also want to talk about the male side of the experience, and the perceived need to appear ‘strong’ for you partner and consequently be unable to process your own grief.”

Robert who currently train six times a week, added: “Everyday, when I see my friends with their children the same age, I think about how he would have been, taking him to school, listening to him tell me what he was interested in and what stories he had from his day. When I compete, I always imagine that he has come to watch me, cheering me on from the side lines. As this is a hard achievement, I wanted to replicate the difficulty of going through something tough like this in my life to raise awareness for people going through something tough in their life so what better way to do that than with a brutal 24 hour workout. I have set myself the challenge of completing 24 Hyrox workouts - on the hour every single hour, for 24 hours straight. Starting at 7pm on Saturday 14th October, and finishing at 7pm on Sunday 15th October, ready for the Wave of Light campaign at 7pm that evening.

"If I could offer up some advice to other bereaved parents going through this I would say, talk to someone and explain how you feeling. You'll be surprised how many other people out there have been through something similar or can relate.”

To donate to Robert’s 24 Hour Hyrox Challenge for Sands Charity click HERE.