Dan Scheer is a driven man

Dan Scheer is a driven man - even when he's on the water!

The Bristow Simulator Engineer has taken on a load of crazy challenges over the years - from mega-marathons to thousand-mile walks - but his next adventure is a big one, even by his standards… 

“For 2024 I thought I'd try something that no-one has ever managed to do.” explained Scheer with a smile. “So I'm going to try and become the first person to paddleboard from Fort William to Inverness in less than 14 hours, raising funds for Bristow's nominated UK-charity The Archie Foundation as I go!"

Scheer is taking part in the two-day Great Glen Paddle Challenge. This specialist annual event tests the resolve of even world-class paddleboarders.

The experts who complete the demanding course - which covers almost 100 kilometres - take two full days to cover the distance. According to organisers no-one has yet completed the event on an inflatable paddleboard within the race's 14-hour time limit.

But that's precisely what Scheer intends to do.

“Well I'm going to give it my best shot at least!” laughs Scheer. “I've not done any competitive paddleboarding before, but it looks like a fun challenge! Hopefully I'll raise some funds for The Archie Foundation in the process too.”

Definitions of ‘fun’ notwithstanding, it's certainly true that Scheer likes a challenge. Over the years he has travelled the globe sampling extreme sports.  

From taking on 20 ‘Tough Mudder’ marathon assault courses to mountain marathons and even surviving a week in a Scottish forest equipped with nothing but a knife (in winter). Scheer, who is also a third-dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, likes nothing more than pushing himself to the limit.

“Once I found myself between jobs,” said Scheer. "And I thought I'd go home to Luxembourg for a little break. So I decided to walk there from Aberdeen. It took three months. I walked 2,300 kilometres with just a rucksack on my back and was an adventure I'll never forget!"

In preparation for his next challenge, Scheer bought a racing paddleboard (good start) and recruited a personal trainer to take him through a specialist fitness regime. Even although the event isn't until September, he is already getting on the water three or four times a week to practise - on top of his daily gym sessions. 

“To be honest the first time I tried the paddleboard I was surprised how hard it was,” he said. “After a few hours I was very sore, but with a bit of effort I should have enough time to get to the right standard to hit my goal.”

Scheer is joining the Bristow RunBalmoral team in raising money for children's charity The Archie Foundation which supports young patients and their families in north Scotland.  

If you'd like to support Scheer, and contribute to an extremely worthy cause, check out the link below: 

Dan Scheer is fundraising for The Archie Foundation (justgiving.com)