Observe and discipline athletes equivalent to Lynn Davies, Keely Hodgkinson, Colin Jackson and Mo Farah have been showcasing their inventive skills by contributing to Fleet’s ebook undertaking for the charity CRY
Mike Fleet, a former middle-distance worldwide athlete and long-time coach at Croydon Harriers, is main a novel undertaking to boost cash for a charitable trigger.
The 86-year-old is gathering hand-drawn sketches from a few of the world’s high athletes to create a particular ebook, with all proceeds going to the charity Cardiac Threat within the Younger (CRY).
The charity is very significant to Fleet and Croydon Harriers after two members of the membership tragically handed away from undiagnosed circumstances, and Fleet’s purpose is to honour these athletes and to boost funds for the charity.
His connection to athletics runs deep. As an athlete, he completed fifth within the half of 1 mile closing on the 1962 Empire Video games, a race famously gained by Peter Snell. Since retiring he has remained an influential determine as a coach, photographer and supporter of numerous occasions.
Although he’s amassing paintings from athletes throughout numerous sports activities, his foremost focus has been observe and discipline – his personal space of experience.
Over the previous three years, he has secured 85 drawings from massive names like Lynn Davies, Keely Hodgkinson, Colin Jackson – and the record goes on.
“A few of the drawings are completely sensible, some are very humorous, some are quite simple,” Fleet says. “They date again from the 1936 Olympics to in the present day.”
One memorable contribution got here from Mo Farah, who admitted he couldn’t draw however nonetheless drew a “good little scribbly Mobot,” says Fleet.
“One nice one I’ve is from Herb Elliott, he is a good, nice hero of mine. He was one of many biggest milers ever, by no means misplaced a mile race, had a world document and was an Olympic gold medallist. It was sensible as a result of he did me a brilliant caricature of himself, as did Allan Wells, the Olympic champion in Moscow.”
Fleet’s purpose is to gather 100 drawings earlier than compiling the ebook, which will likely be auctioned to boost cash for CRY.
“I need it to be one thing that individuals see as being one thing price shopping for at an public sale,” says Fleet. “The plan is to go to main public sale and I’m informed I might perhaps get £3000 or extra.”
“I’m additionally hoping to do 25 facsimile books and perhaps promote them for £50 every, so the undertaking is simply a couple of ebook.”
This isn’t Fleet’s first fundraising effort for CRY. He has accomplished a number of charity initiatives over time, together with writing an in depth ebook of Croydon Harriers, titled Croydon Harriers Historical past 1920-2020, with all proceeds going to charity.
He has additionally authored a training ebook with the title of Don’t Crush the Eggs in Your Armpit, overlaying each observe and discipline occasion intimately, which AW reviewed earlier this 12 months.
“It could be nice if extra Olympians might help this superb trigger in reminiscence of hundreds of athletes and different sportsmen who sadly die of undiagnosed coronary heart circumstances,” says Fleet.
“CRY perform analysis in South London and so they monitor teams of athletes, while placing coronary heart displays on them and checking them throughout. Additionally they perform bereavement counselling and recommendation, it’s such an excellent trigger.”
To get in contact with Mike Fleet about making a contribution contact 07833 456248.
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