Murphy’s Law
Melton Mowbray postman of nine years Adam Hawkins has raised more than £1,000 for the Fifth Sense, the charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders, by completing (and somehow surviving) two Navy Seal challenges.
The first challenge was the infamous ‘Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge,’ which involves running four miles, every four hours for 48 hours, and was invented by former Navy Seal and fitness guru, David Goggins.
‘I did 4.44 miles every four hours, starting at 8pm on a Friday,’ said Adam. ‘I even worked all Saturday doing my rural round and still managed to get my noon run in between the two villages of Upper Broughton and Nether Broughton!
‘I did my last run on Sunday at 4pm, covering 55 miles in total with just three hours sleep. The toughest part of the challenge was not having enough recovery time, but I achieved it and was back in training for the second challenge, the ‘CrossFit Murph’ workout, on the Tuesday.
‘This challenge is named after ex-Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy. It consisted of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run, all done consecutively, while wearing a 14lb weighted vest! It was really hard on the body, but I capped the time at 50 minutes. It’s safe to say I wanted it over as quickly as possible! You can watch me completing the challenge by clicking here.’
Adam was diagnosed with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), also known as Samter’s Triad in 2017. Common symptoms for people with AERD include a loss of their sense of smell, severe asthma, chronic sinus infections, and allergic reactions to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
After having no sense of taste or smell for two years, Adam underwent sinus surgery, which temporarily restored them.
‘I’m lucky that I can now taste and smell things,’ said Adam. ‘But as AERD involves recurring nasal polyps, I know it’s inevitable that both senses could quickly disappear. Many people aren’t so lucky. They lose their sense of taste and smell permanently due to an accident or they’re simply born that way.’
Adam found that running, endurance training and, in particular, distance running helps him cope mentally with his condition.
‘Fifth Sense supports people affected by smell and taste disorders across the world,’ said Adam. ‘They are the first charity providing direct support, advice, and a signpost to potential diagnosis and treatment to people affected by such conditions.’
If you would like to help Adam with his fundraising for Fifth Sense, you can visit his fundraising page here.
Click here to watch the Fifth Sense video ‘Let’s talk smell and taste,’ a powerful statement of why the senses of smell and taste are so essential to our health and wellbeing.
