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Dave Clark and Sky Sports F1 chief taking on 200-mile challenge to raise money for Parkinson's UK

Dave Clark
Image: Dave Clark will be pushing his body through the pain barrier for 13 days

Sky Sports Darts presenter Dave Clark and Sky Sports Head of Formula 1 Martin Turner are taking on a 200 mile coast-to-coast walk in aid of Parkinson's UK. We spoke to both men on the challenges they face and Clarkey takes up the story.....

I went on holiday with my dad, who had Parkinson's, to Robin Hood's Bay on the Yorkshire coast and saw people opening champagne and running into the sea. I was wondering what they were doing and it turned out they had done this coast-to-coast walk, which is 200 miles from St Bees on the Cumbrian coast to Robin Hood's Bay.

The idea is, you dip your feet in the sea, pick up a pebble from the beach, walk across England and then run into the sea at the other end, two weeks later.

Obviously I have been battling Parkinson's for nearly six years now and Sky have been really supportive of me. Sky have pledged to match the donations and we're up to £50,000, which is brilliant.

This is the toughest physical battle of my life, apart from battling Parkinson's.
Dave Clark

This is the toughest physical battle of my life, apart from battling Parkinson's. I've got a torn meniscus from the wear and tear of playing rugby and football over the years. The physio has also diagnosed an arthritic big toe. But a bit of Parky's, a dodgy knee, and an arthritic toe aren't going to stop me, that's for sure.

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You've got to go through three national parks and they are not flat by any stretch of the imagination. I've got to go up Helvellyn, which is one of the highest mountains in Britain, right across the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, the North Yorkshire Moors. It's 200 miles in 13 days from September 11-23. 

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Gary Anderson
Image: World Champion Gary Anderson pledged his support to Clark's challenge

Gary Anderson came in with a cheque for £1,000 at the World Matchplay, which is brilliant. Michael van Gerwen and Adrian Lewis have donated as well which is great news, giving us some memorabilia to auction off. All the boards that have been used in the major championship finals this year have gone to Parkinson's UK as well. It's a real family, the darts community, and they have been absolutely brilliant.

Wayne Mardle is coming along for a few days and John Part is coming for a day as well. I expect to see darts players festooned around the Lake District up these high mountains. They aren't the fittest of boys!    

Alongside Dave Clarke, is Sky Sports Head of Formula 1 Martin Turner

Image: Sky Sports Head of Formula 1 Martin Turner will join Dave Clark on his coast-to-coast walk

"The thing I am looking forward to the most is getting to walk around the country. I spend most of my time flying around the world and you sometimes forget how wonderful it is closer to home.

"The thing I am most concerned about is my leg getting too painful to carry on. I tore cartilage in training, but not being able to finish is the thing that most scares me.

"Being knackered and taking much longer than fit people to finish won't worry me.

"Sky have been amazing. When I first went to see Barney to tell him of my diagnosis immediately he, Jeremy and Deborah Baker were incredibly supportive, which was nice because although I'd been here for 32 years you don't take anything for granted.

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"Then when I told them we were doing this walk Jeremy said they would support us to the tune of £50,000 which is a game changing amount. This sort of research is very expensive and there is a lot of competition, there is a lot of disease out there, a lot of people trying to do amazing things, but it takes time, money and effort, so anything you can do to raise a substantial sum of money you'd like to think will make a difference.

"To be fair Clarkey is a money making machine and he is so connected and everyone loves him so much he has done an amazing job.

"I think it is an incredibly romantic notion to touch the sea on one side and go across the country and touch the other sea."

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