An East Renfrewshire fitness instructor and members of his class are taking on a gruelling charity obstacle course to raise money for Diabetes UK.

Thomas Wilson has been gearing his team up for Tough Mudder – an extreme run that involves a lot of mud and requires teamwork to get to the finish line. 

The group, who take classes with 54-year-old Thomas at the Barrhead Foundry and Eastwood High School, have been talking about taking part in a race for some time, reports Barrhead News.

Now they have opted for a tough test at Drumlanrig Castle, in Dumfries and Galloway, on Sunday, June 17.

And Thomas has warned them it will be a race like no other. 
He said: “The Tough Mudder is not just about physical fitness, the team will also need a lot of mental strength to get through all the obstacles. 

“Every member of the group has a fear of something. I am scared of heights and there is an obstacle that involves jumping off a plank into a pool of water.

“Another girl in the group can’t swim. We will need to help each other to pull through and finish the course.”

Thomas is able to speak from experience, having completed the Tough Mudder event once before – and things did not go smoothly for him.

“I had to get stitches in my knee because I was knocked over by one of the obstacles,” he explained.

“The organisers mean it when they say it is tough.”

Father-of-two Thomas has chosen to raise funds for Diabetes UK because his 30-year-old son has had the disease since the age of six.

He said: “My youngest son was diagnosed with diabetes at such a young age and there is such a stigma attached to the condition being related to diet.

“It can also be hereditary. Some people just get it and it is a really difficult thing to deal with.”

Thomas has taken on other challenges to raise funds for the charity, including a climbing event that saw him conquer three peaks within the space of 24 hours.

He has also completed two marathons and even reached the summit of Africa’s highest mountain, 19,340ft Kilimanjaro.

His past feats have even led to Diabetes UK bosses calling him an “inspiration”.

Collection cans for the group have been placed around the East Renfrewshire Leisure centres and Thomas has also set up a Just Giving page online to help people make a donation.

He continued: “We have not set ourselves a fundraising target. Some people are new to fundraising, so we will all be happy no matter what we raise.”

To support Thomas and his group, see: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/young-eastwood-fad

You can find out more about the Tough Mudder event 
by going online at: https://toughmudder.co.uk/events/2018-scotland