Charity champ exceeds target

The money will go to Keech Hospice Care, in memory of his beloved grandad Mario who died of cancer two years ago.

Marco, 20, of Carnegie Gardens in Bramingham, said: “I’m really happy everything worked out so well.

“I’ve never organised anything like this in my life before so I had no idea what sort of money to expect.

“Next time I’ll be much more experienced.”

The Barnfield Tec motorsport engineering student started off with a chest wax at Shona Salon. “It was awful,” he grinned. “I always thought women were lying when they said waxing was painful but they weren’t.”

This was followed by a skydive, an experience he described as “absolutely fabulous but terrifying at the same time. It really got my adrenaline going.”

His final challenge was a 26 mile cycle ride round Bedfordshire branches of Ladbrokes where he has a part-time job as cashier. “It took me five hours and was really hard work,” he said. “But it made me realise how many other worthwhile causes there are out there.”

Marco was really close to his grandad, a hospital porter. He said: “I’m sure he was smiling at everything I did. He was so unselfish and I’d like to be more like him.”