$650 to get smashed by Hoppa

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/to-get-smashed-by-hoppa/story-e6frexni-1225882949745


$650 to get smashed by Hoppa

• <LI class="byline first ">Nick Walshaw <LI class="source ">From: The Daily Telegraph
• June 23, 2010 12:00AM

This content is protected

M.A.D ... Glenn Dobson has paid $650 to fight John Hopoate. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph



GLENN Dobson broke a hand the last time he threw punches. Busted ribs, too.

"And that was in a bloody boxercise class," the Sydney businessman laughs.
"Two years ago. But when I heard about an eBay auction to fight John Hopoate ... well, why not?"
Ladies and gentleman, please meet Mr Impossible.
This anonymous Northern Beaches dad, age 52, whose resume boasts ironman events, marathons and a lengthy stint in the British Army. He runs 130km weekly. Up to 44km daily.
Fighting Hopoate this Friday night after shelling out $650 for the privilege.
"And it's important I get through unscathed," the fight game's greatest underdog tells The Daily Telegraph. "Because a week later I'm running across the Simpson Desert - 15 marathons in 15 days."
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

Related Coverage

• Manly Marlins hook Hoppa Fox Sports, 25 May 2010
• No-punch Hoppa Daily Telegraph, 19 Mar 2010
• Now or never, Hoppa Herald Sun, 11 Mar 2010
• Hopoate's fight with Cameron back on Daily Telegraph, 15 Feb 2010
• Hoppa bounced in New Zealand Fox Sports, 3 Oct 2009

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.


Indeed, this is why Dobson, a man with zero fight experience, is throwing himself into a bout he knows he cannot win. Why he is headlining a charity fight night - organised by the Belrose Eagles footy club - that has him outweighed by 20kg. And why North Sydney Leagues Club bosses are rereading insurance policies about deaths on the premises.
Exposure. See on Thursday week, Dobson will be one of four attempting to across Australia's driest desert to raise $100,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Running about 650km from Alice Springs to Birdsville, the quartet will cross 1300 sand dunes, bust through a dozen pair of sneakers and face temperature changes from 30C to -8C.
No townships. No truckstops. Not even a tap marked anywhere on the route.
They will run 44km every day. Sleep in swags at night. And while the average human consumes 2500 calories every 24 hours, Dobson and his team will chew through 6000 each.
"And we need sponsors to help achieve our goal," says the man who lost his mother to breast cancer.
"So what better way to bring attention to that than fighting Hoppa.
"I also want to show people that anything is possible. Like the four of us who are going on this run, we call ourselves The Impossibles.
"There are too many guys out there who reach a certain age and simply give up. They fade away.
"But I want them to know I'm no one special. I'm a husband, a father, a fella with a house, a mortgage and a dog.
"But at 52, I'm taking on John Hopoate. Sure, he'll probably beat the s. .t out of me. But I want my kids to be able to say, 'Yeah Dad, you're an idiot but you're in there having a crack and sure we'll visit you in the hospital'."
And if he somehow survives both Hopoate and the desert?
"My biggest goal is to compete in the Hawaiian ironman," he says.
"I started training for them 10 years ago. Needed a new challenge in my life.
"And in all that time I've been working towards that one event. Even my business is called the Kona Group - it's named after the place in Hawaii where the event is run.
"I've done 19 events already and I'm improving with every one. Now if I can just find a way to increase my speed a little ...

 

hoppa hard to the body. all over in seconds. and no one gets seriously hurt....we hope.