Charity champion, Lloyd Scott has been showing patriotic support by taking part in the greatest challenge of his life…..

While the England football team acclimatise themselves before the first of their big matches in South Africa – charity champion Lloyd Scott has been showing patriotic support by taking part in the greatest challenge of his life.Today (Sunday), Scott took part in a marathon 12,000 feet underground in the world’s deepest mine, competing against some of the world’s most experienced ultra-runners in order to raise funds for the Team England Footballers’ Charity.

Stifling heat, cramped conditions, obstacle laden terrain and low visibility were among the challenges Scott battled with – not to mention the mere physical strain of running 44 laps of the Mponeng mine in Carletonville, just 50 miles west of Johannesburg.

And if that weren’t enough, he struggled against a mental barrier of being almost sure from the beginning that he would never complete the 26.2 miles in under 6 hours – a time limit revealed to him just days before the race start.

The eventual winner, a veteran of such races as the infamous Comrades Marathon – an ultra-event of over 56 miles – completed the course in just 4 hours 5 minutes with similar such athletes finishing in just under the 6 hour cut-off point.

Scott, the only Brit, had just 3 miles left to go when the race was ended. Frustrated, fatigued and suffering from sickness due to the suffocating conditions, he was left to consider his personal success.

Scott said: “I was running against endurance athletes and in conditions that were almost unbearable. The heat 12,000 feet underground just enveloped me and the terrain was littered with obstacles such as anchor points from the mining work and even railway tracks. In addition, the only lighting we had was the artificial lighting rigged up by the mine. At various intervals we were bombarded by blasts of air from the ventilation shafts which smelled so bad they created instant nausea.

“The England team are having time to get acclimatised to the conditions in South Africa but I just had to get down to it – quite literally. I feel it was an enormous personal achievement and only wish I had been allowed just a little more time to complete the 26 miles. Bearing in mind my claim on the title of ‘world’s slowest man’ I always thought I would struggle with the cut-off time. My attempt will raise vital funds for the Team England Footballers’ Charity.”

Scott, who was awarded the MBE in 2005 for services to charity, is certainly no stranger to eccentric marathon attempts. Having overcome leukaemia by undergoing a life-saving bone marrow transplant in 1989, Scott has since had more than 20 operations, including two replacement hips and to date raised an astonishing £5 million for charities and good causes. He has embarked upon such unusual events as running the London Marathon in an antique Deep Sea Diver’s suit and running around the crater rim of Kilimanjaro for the highest ever marathon.

Raising funds for the charities supported by the Team England Footballers Charity - including Children’s Hospices UK, WellChild, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and the PFA charity initiatives - Scott has the backing of the entire England squad.

Rio Ferdinand commented, “I have heard of digging deep, especially for charity, but 12,000 feet underground is quite something!  The England team wish them all the very best in this incredible venture and encourage others to get behind them to help raise funds for the fantastic charities we support.”

www.lloydscott.co.uk