ARGIE BARGY CAN'T STOP BLIND DAVE

07-04-2008

West Brom marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley has successfully started the first leg of his seven day, seven marathon fundraising expedition – despite a last minute hitch in Argentina.

Dave’s plane taking him to the Falkland Islands was forced to divert from Rio where he’d been training to Buenos Aires because of bad weather – and the authorities there tried to block his ongoing journey.

It’s apparently illegal to fly from Argentina to the place they call the Malvinas, and for a few hours over the weekend, it looked as though the entire trip might be scuppered.

After some intensive negotiations, Dave was allowed to continue after all – although the delay meant that a planned welcoming event with the Governor General had to be cancelled.

He finaly set off from Port Stanley on the stroke of midnight last night and was cheered on by 80 supporters who’d gathered for a farewell dinner at The Hawthorns – compered by Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg.

As Dave set off with his guide runner Mad Mac, he made contact via mobile phone and revealed that he’d been given a big send-off in the Fakllands, with an RAF tornado jet swooping low to guide him on the first steps of the journey.

“We’re going to give it our all” he promised. “Even if we have to get round on our hands and knees, we’ll do it.”

Follow Blind Dave’s progress every day on the Stirrer.