Former champion Darren Barker begins 1,800-mile Hatton tribute

Former world champion Darren Barker has begun a 1,800-mile endurance challenge in memory of Ricky Hatton and to raise funds for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

Barker set off from Edinburgh on a journey expected to last several weeks. The challenge combines cycling and open-water swimming across Britain, France, Spain, the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar.

The first stage is a cycle from Edinburgh to Dover, followed by a 21-mile swim across the English Channel. Barker will then cycle from Calais to Gibraltar before attempting a nine-mile swim across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco.

The former middleweight champion decided to take on the challenge after speaking to Hatton on a podcast last September. Hatton died days after that conversation, an experience that made Barker reflect more deeply on mental health and the need for people to seek support.

Barker is using the challenge to promote open conversations about mental health and to challenge the idea that silence represents strength. He has also spoken about his own experiences of grief, including the loss of his brother and grandfather, as well as the difficulty of adjusting to life after boxing.

Funds raised will support CALM’s services, including its suicide prevention helpline and the free CALMzone mental health app. Hatton had served as an ambassador for the charity, whose work Barker wants to continue highlighting through the journey.

Reaching Morocco would mark the physical completion of the challenge, but Barker has said that increasing awareness is equally important to him. He hopes the effort will encourage people who are struggling to speak to others and use the support available.