Man goes snooker loopy in 24-hour challenge for friend

A MAN completed a 24-hour snooker challenge in Henley for charity.

Jon Hawkins played from 8am on Saturday to 8.30am the following day at Trinity Snooker Club in Harpsden Road.

He played a total of 86 frames with 18 friends, losing only nine, and raised almost £6,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Mr Hawkins, 52, was inspired to take on the challenge after his friend, Graham Attridge, was diagnosed with the disease in April last year.

He first met him in 2010 while playing golf at Donnington Grove Club in Newbury where Graham became captain seven years later.

Mr Hawkins, who has played snooker since he was a teenager, said: “About a year ago, we were talking in a bar and Graham mentioned he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

“That knocked the wind out of my sails and I wanted to do something for him but hadn’t really got round to doing it until I went to a St George’s Day Club dinner in London in April. Rugby league player Rob Burrow who was diagnosed with the disease, won the True Englishman award and the dinner was raising money for the charity.

“I texted Graham on the same day and said I needed to do something for the charity. With Graham, his condition really touched a nerve for me. It’s quite harrowing to think that it is life ending. There’s no treatment.

“You’ve just got to do everything you can to try and get a cure or improve their life if you can for as long as they’ve got left. It’s a horrible disease. The charity offers that first-hand support.”

Symptoms of the disease include muscle weakness, difficulty moving, joint pain and difficulty breathing.

Mr Hawkins said: “When Graham was a golfer, he was swinging the club freely but as time’s gone on, he has lost the use of his arms a bit and the strength in his arms, which is quite hard to see. It’s sad to see the debilitating affect that it has.”

He chose to take on the challenge at Trinity Hall because of their “exceptional” tables and equipment.

Mr Hawkins, who lives in Abingdon, said: “I asked these guys because it’s a great club and the tables are exceptional compared to many but also because we would be undisturbed here because it’s a 24/7 club for members.

“What Trinity have done for me is they’ve offered to pay for the light, which is fantastic, and they’ve also sponsored a polo shirt which has been made for me.”

Mr Hawkins said he didn’t tire during the challenge. He said: “We had coffee and cake at 4am and I felt I hit another high again where towards the end I was buzzing and I didn’t really feel like I’d been playing for 24 hours.

“I had a few coffees to keep me going. I survived really on squash and picking at the odd bit of food as I was playing. I felt like I could have carried on even after I’d finished.”

Mr Hawkin’s partner, Lynn came to support him during the challenge. She said: “One of the guys Jon played against in the morning, Gordon Bates, his mum had passed away from the disease so he was very keen to support him. He made a very generous donation.”

Mr Attridge, who lives in Newbury, said: “At the point I was diagnosed I was fairly active but my life changed forever. I had been experiencing muscle twitching, spasms around my body and loss of muscle strength, particularly in my arms.

“As I was a regular golfer, this began to affect my game. It had taken over a year of investigation and ruling out other explanations before the consultant was able to give the earth-shattering diagnosis.

“One year on, it seems to be progressing slowly and remaining currently in the arms. Each day presents new challenges, from eating and wanting to continue playing golf and cycling, which has now progressed to occasionally going out with a friend on a tandem bike.

“Typical of Jon, when he heard my news, he had a compulsion to do something that would make a difference.”

To make a donation, visit https://tinyurl.com/2z8f86vp