2017 Winner
Dave Heeley
A blind runner who has covered the equivalent of two laps of planet Earth for charity has been named Fundraiser of the Year at the Pride of Birmingham Awards.
Record-breaking Dave Heeley has raised more than £1million for charity along the way in a series of gruelling endurance challenges.
Known affectionately by friends and supporters as Blind Dave, he has completed 12 London Marathons and 13 Great North Runs.
In 2008 he ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents, and in 2011 he ran and cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, raising £107,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. The Top 2 Toe run saw him run 26.2 miles every morning before jumping on his bike and cycling up to 100 miles.
In 2015, he took on his most incredible challenge yet, the Marathon Des Sables, running 156 miles across the Sahara Desert in temperatures of up to 50C. Helped by two guides, he was the first blind runner to complete the world’s toughest race, in which competitors also have to carry their provisions for five days of running on their backs.
Pride of Birmingham, in partnership with TSB, honours unsung heroes of all ages who do extraordinary things to help others.
Dave received his Award at a star-studded dinner hosted by TV presenter and campaigner Katie Piper, and attended by some of the region’s biggest stars.
The judges said: “Dave’s achievements would be truly astonishing even if he wasn’t blind. He is an incredible man.”