A former head boy of Glyn School in Epsom will attempt to flip a 100kg tractor tyre for 24 hours without stopping next month, in a bid to break a Guinness World Record and raise £20,000 for his old school.
James Farmer, who was head boy at Glyn in 2001, is now a professional trainer and fitness instructor with more than 20 years’ experience in health and wellness, including coaching athletes and Olympians. He has also appeared as a fitness expert on ITV.
James will start his attempt at midday on Sunday 25 October and finish at midday the following day, flipping the tyre around a marked course on the school site through the night, watched by independent witnesses. The current Guinness World Record for tyre flipping in 24 hours stands at 11.21km, and James is aiming to pass 15km.
Money will fund a new sports pavilion
All money raised will go towards a new sports pavilion at Glyn School, part of the 43-school GLF Schools trust. The pavilion will improve facilities for PE lessons and fixtures, as well as giving the local community access to after-school sport.
James said: “I owe Glyn a debt of gratitude for providing the foundation upon which I built my entire career. Twenty-four hours of flipping a tyre is a hard way to say thank you. But if it puts a pavilion on those playing fields, it will have been worth every hour.”
Headteacher Jo Garrod said: “James left here in 1999 and he has never really left us behind, which says something about Glyn, and James as a person. What he is taking on is extraordinary, and the pavilion he is raising money for will be used by our pupils every week for decades. We will be out there cheering him on through the night.”
The challenge falls ahead of Glyn School’s centenary in 2027, with the new pavilion intended as a lasting mark of the school’s ambitions for the future.
Donations can be made via the fundraising page. Local businesses interested in sponsoring the attempt can contact the school directly, and spectators are welcome to come along and cheer James on during the attempt.
