Blind Dave inspires Telford business leaders

July 13, 2012 - PRLog -- Telford, Shropshire, UK: Members of the Telford Business Partnership (TBP) were left feeling truly inspired by one of the most motivational guest speakers they’ve ever had when they welcomed Blind Dave Heeley and his guide dog, Seamus, to their quarterly breakfast meeting on Wednesday 4th July at The Holiday Inn, Telford.

Dave is renowned for his phenomenal charity efforts and is the only blind person (and only the fourth man in the world) to complete the Ultimate Endurance Challenge – seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, which he ran with guide Malcolm Carr to raise money for Guide Dogs UK. Dave is also well-known for his determination to achieve whatever he sets his mind to, and has driven a car around Brands Hatch, ridden a motorbike, and even ran and cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Dave spoke movingly about his experiences during the marathon challenge and revealed that during the 168 hours he ran for just over 35, slept for just short of 20 hours and the rest was spent flying between continents. “We flew in excess of 35,000 miles to enable us to achieve our goal, and I achieved my ambition by finishing the London Marathon on the seventh day – it was such a relief but at the same time, I was sorry it was over.” Dave told TBP members he would never have completed the challenge without the support of his family and his back-up team. “It’s amazing what the body and the mind will offer when you ask for it – it’s all about desire, and the two key things are teamwork and commitment.”

Dave was introduced by Kevin Parr, a motivational speaker from the PGS Team. He has worked with a wide range of high performers from Olympic gold medal winners to dynamic business entrepreneurs, and is passionate about helping businesses to increase their motivation.

Outgoing TBP chairman, Graham Davies, of Martin Kaye LLP Solicitors (http://www.martinkaye.co.uk) said Dave’s inspirational story of how he had met life’s obstacles head on and overcome them had proved to be a great motivation for TBP members. “It was really humbling to hear just how dedicated Dave is to making the most of every day, and there were some incredible stories which I’m sure our members will take away and learn from.”

TBP is a growing network of business and professional service companies who promote the diversity and quality of their services to local firms and those relocating to the area. TBP describes itself as “the voice of professional business services”, and encourages members to work together to create the right blend of skills to meet every possible business opportunity.

Photo (l-r): Robin Melley, Graham Davies, Dave Heeley (with Seamus) and Geoff Parkes