A fearless reporter is calling on readers to throw down the gauntlet and challenge him to any activity in the name of a good story.

Richard Gurner, from The Argus in Brighton, says he is prepared to do almost anything in the cause of feature writing as long as it doesn’t transgress the law.

Since launching ‘Challenge Gurner’, he has been inundated with offers and already has three lined up and ready to go.

Next week he will be entering the steel ring and training with some local cage fighters – a mix of martial arts and traditional boxing – which will be followed by a flying lesson in a light aircraft.

As autumn draws in and the nights get colder, the 26-year-old will be warming his tootsies with a walk over hot coals.

Richard told HoldtheFrontPage: “The idea is to get a Duncan Dares kind of thing, like on Blue Peter.

“We had one person ask if I wanted to try the food at a nursing home but I had to turn that one down.

“It’s meant to be a light-hearted thing and I’m up for anything as long as it’s not illegal. I would give bungee jumping a go, for example.

“I was due to jump off Worthing Pier as part of the Birdman competition but it was cancelled because of the weather.”

Previous features by Richard have seen him join a male voice choir, be thrown out of pubs for smoking during the first week of the ban and dress up as Superman for an hour of ‘Spartan’ training.

This involved some old school style military exercises involving tyre pulling, tug of war and lifting kettle bells.

Such journalistic gusto meant that when news editor Frankie Taggart hit upon the idea of a regular reader-led challenge, there was only one man for the job.

Richard said they were looking to do at least one feature with pictures a month for both print and online with video footage for the website wherever possible.

“I’m not embarrassed about it, it’s just part and parcel of the job and a chance to do things I wouldn’t normally do,” he added.

Comments

Kate Helyer (30/07/2008 10:43:23)
If Richard still wants to jump off a pier – the biggest Birdman event in the country is happening this Sunday in Ilfracombe – we at trhe North Devon Journal challenge you!!!