Darren Barker "buzzing and feeling really good" as he completes day one of 'The Longest Round' 1800-mile fundraising challenge

Darren Barker is one day down after embarking on his 'The Longest Round' fundraising challenge yesterday, in memory of boxing great Ricky Hatton.

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Barker, a former IBF world middleweight champion who also won European and Commonwealth titles, set off on his 1800-mile adventure from Edinburgh yesterday morning and finished day one in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

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Barker will be away for three-and-a-half to four weeks, starting off with a cycle from Edinburgh to Dover before swimming the English Channel, cycling from Calais to Gibraltar, before finishing with an open-water swim across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco.

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Barker is raising funds for suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - which Hatton was an ambassador of.

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Press Box PR are supporting Barker's challenge, as sole media partner, and met up with him at Scott Monument in Edinburgh to set him on his way.

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Incredibly, Barker was as relaxed as possible - and in no way gave off any sign of nerves ahead of this epic challenge. And he carried that persona throughout day one despite it bucketing it down in Scotland, providing updates during the journey from Edinburgh to Berwick Seaview Club Campsite.

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Barker said: "Well Scotland didn't disappoint, it absolutely hammered down. I am drenched. Nice one Scotland, love you!

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"We have had every season you could imagine today. We've had rain, wind, sleet, hail, sun but we made it to England."

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After finishing day one, he added: "Day one in the bank, one on the board. Buzzing, feeling good. Honestly I feel really good. It will get harder, I know it will but that's one day done."

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Barker has already set off this morning for the next leg, heading through to Durham today and is "ready to smash the life out of day"

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If you're able to, can you please donate to: www.justgiving.com/page/thelongestround

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