New Era Boxing coach attempts world record in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young

Mark Bebbington, from New Era Boxing Gym in Queen Street, will be trying to break the Guinness World Record for the number of times pads are continuously held for boxers over the course of three-minute rounds.

The current record stands at 360, but Mark has set an ambitious target of 500 rounds.

He is taking on the challenge in aid of CRY, a charity which seeks to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families.

Deborah Dixon is the Cheshire Representative for CRY and set up a memorial fund which is ringfenced within the charity when she lost her only son Aaron at the age of 23.

Aaron Dixon died suddenly aged 23

Aaron had an inherited condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy – which neither he nor his family knew anything about.

Since losing the former Weaverham High School and Mid Cheshire College student in 2011, his family have worked with CRY to do everything they can to prevent other families suffering the same loss.

Deborah Dixon

Deborah said: "I am involved, along with The Rotary Cub, with a Guinness World Boxing Record being held at New Era Boxing Club in Northwich on the weekend of June 26 and 27.

"Mark Bebbington, the owner and coach, will be taking on the record and we will be asking the community to get involved.

"The record consists of 500 rounds, starting on the Saturday at 8am and running through to the Sunday at 6pm.

"Each round will be three minutes with each person taking part having to throw 50 punches to the pads.

"We have set up a JustGiving page which is linked directly to the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

"The money raised will be used to fund free heart screening in Northwich.

Could you help?

"To date I have raised £350,000, and this money has been used to fund the screening of 3,500 young adults in Cheshire and the North West - 115 of those screened have been referred with abnormalities.

"Each screening day costs £5,000 where we screen 100 young adults between the ages of 14 and 35."

Mark said: "I have chosen The Aaron James Dixon Memorial Fund which is ring fenced within the charity CRY as I believe it is a fantastic cause.

"The charity helps many individuals and families both locally and nationally.

"Deborah herself has committed much of her life recently to help many young people across the area and screening has shown to be extremely effective as a way to prevent sudden cardiac death.

"This, for me, is an extreme challenge of which there had to be an extremely worthy charity for which to raise funds.

Could you help?

"I am delighted that we have set an ambitious target of £10,000 and this will fund the screening of 200 young adults.

"For this challenge we need lots of people to get involved and help us along the way, it really is a team effort.

"If there is any way you can get involved please do, share this information where you can and if you are in a position to be able to donate towards the target that would be fantastic and we can't thank you enough."

More than £1,000 has already been raised.

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Deborah-Dixon15.