Former world champion Darren Barker cycles from Edinburgh to Dover in Ricky Hatton’s honour – and will now swim Channel

FORMER boxing world champion Darren Barker has cycled from Edinburgh to Dover in memory of Ricky Hatton – and he is not done yet. The ex-IBF world middleweight title holder, 44, is taking on a mammoth challenge as part of his ‘The Longest Round’ fundraising challenge in honour of the legendary British fighter. Darren Barker (left) has completed a cycle from Edinburgh to Dover Credit: Darren Barker's The Longest Round The former world champion is raising money for charity Credit: Darren Barker's The Longest Round All proceeds will be donated to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a suicide prevention charity for which Hatton was an ambassador before his death last year. The 2,000-mile odyssey will take Barker from Scotland to Morocco when all is said and done, featuring brutal stints over land, and soon, sea. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! The first leg of his money-raising mission is now over after he rolled into Dover, but now he faces possibly the most daunting prospect of the entire trip – swimming the English Channel. Frigid temperatures, choppy waters and even jellyfish could disrupt his attempt to paddle across the world’s busiest shipping lane, but Barker is focusing on the excitement that such a gruelling test will provide. He said: “Swimming the Channel is giving me mixed emotions at the minute. “Fear, excitement and nerves. But the overriding emotion is that I am relishing the challenge. “It’s going to be tough. There are going to be lots of obstacles. It could be the first time I’ve swum at night. There will be jellyfish, I’ll be tired and then there’s the sea itself. “But the bulk of my training has been swimming, so I’m looking forward to getting in there and showing how hard I have prepared for this.” Most read in Sport Barker’s next test will be swimming the channel from Dover Credit: Darren Barker's The Longest Round Barker is embarking on a 2,000-mile round trip in memory of Ricky Hatton Credit: Darren Barker's The Longest Round Barker is currently waiting for the go-ahead to begin the next stage of his journey, after being handed a window between August 27th and September 3rd to begin his swim, as part of a three-man relay. The green light could come just hours before he has to get in the water, and could fall late enough to see him powering through the challenge at night. He added: “I do have that warrior mindset. I’ve proved in the past that I can dig in. Every stroke and every kick will take me closer, and I’ll keep proving that the fighter mentality never leaves you.” Barker is certainly not lacking for drive, with his charitable cause holding a personal meaning for the star. He interviewed Hatton for his podcast “The First Round” just days before he was found dead at his home last September. Barker added: “I feel like I owe this to Ricky, he gave up his time to speak to me and I want to do something for him, but also for the bigger picture. “I want people who are struggling to know that it’s OK not to be OK and to encourage them to have those uncomfortable conversations. Strength isn’t silence. Strength is speaking.” He is projected to finish his full challenge in between three-and-a-half and four weeks. Comment now