Marathon man Mackenzie completes another epic challenge for Breast Cancer UK

05/10/2023

Out of darkness cometh light? It could only be the intrepid Peter Mackenzie with his head torch on. The Sale PGA Professional is certainly not scared of a challenge and he is celebrating the completion of another gallant quest for charity which saw him play golf for 24-hours non-stop as he raised more valuable funds for Breast Cancer UK.

Teeing-off over the Nairn links at 6pm, Mackenzie battered on through the night, covered 52 miles and played 248 holes. “And I only lost eight balls which is not a bad effort given the circumstances,” chuckled Mackenzie who had specially adapted night balls to aid his thwacks and clatters in the pitch black.

The 47-year-old’s dedication to a cause that continues to drive his exhausting endeavours is admirable. After last year’s marathon of seven courses in one day, his latest fund-raising epic has brought in over £13,000.

His all-night exertions were certainly not easy on body or mind but a robust training regime in the build-up had considerable benefits as he successfully managed the physical and psychological rigours of his mission.

“It shows what you can do if you put your mind to it,” he said. “I learned a lot from last year’s challenge. I put more detail into it and got a lot more advice for this one, especially from people who had done some extreme pursuits. That all paid off.

“There were some tough moments. It was actually darker for longer than I expected. I had anticipated six hours of darkness but it was more like eight hours. Mentally that’s hard. Michael McAllan, one of the Nairn pros, played a couple of dark rounds with me which helped. But from midnight until 5am, I was on my own. And in the dark on your own, your mind can play tricks on you. But I’d I read a lot about the Navy Seals and how they coped with the processes of your mind when you’re in vulnerable spots.

“I was also helped by the fact that one of the guys at the club volunteered to do the night shift at the halfway hut so I had somewhere to get changed, warm up and all that. They had pizzas on the fire too. That gave me a focus during the darkness to get back to the halfway hut. It kept the morale up.

“I had a rough spell around 6am in the morning just because you are not eating proper food I got a bit light headed but I go there.”

Mackenzie’s spirits were also raised by the cause he is raising money for.

“If it got to the point when I was beginning to moan, I would just think of those poor people who are in a cancer bed or dying,” he said. “That gives you a huge kick up the a***.”

Having poured his heart and soul into two mighty charity drives over the past 12 months, Mackenzie deserves a year off. His commitment, however, is absolute.

“The next one will have to be bigger,” he said. “But my fiancee has said, ‘can we have a year off?’. Doing this is hard work and it’s a lot of commitment. I was getting up at 3am in the morning to train. It’s a costly project too. I probably spent £3000 of my own money. But it’s for a great cause and you do become addicted to it.

“I got a tattoo of the Nairn club crest done to mark the occasion. They were a great bunch of people and the club has been so helpful throughout this. It will always have a special place in my heart.

"There are so many people to thank. I couldn't have done it without the support of my fiancee, Jan, who rallied around anytime I needed her help. Holdcroft Motors very kindly supplied me with a fabulous Tuscon for the trip while alot of gratitude goes to my club captain, Dave Owens, who came up to Nairn to support the event."