A COUNCILLOR has been enduring icy 3am runs in preparation for a gruelling marathon in his home country to raise money for a community library.
Brent councillor Paul Lorber, 57, will run his first marathon in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he was born, to raise funds for Friends of Barham Library, with whom he has been campaigning to get a permanent volunteer library service running after it was closed by Brent Council.
The Sudbury ward councillor said: “Reviving the library in Barham Park is such a fantastic project that I am willing to go to any lengths to achieve our objective.
“We have a fantastic group of volunteers and massive support from local people who have donated books and wish us well.
“Doing my bit and taking on the marathon challenge is the least I can do under the circumstances.”
The father-of-two came to the UK with his parents in October 1968 following the Russian invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia and the ending of the Prague Spring.
He has lived in Brent since 1969, initially in Willesden then more recently in Sudbury, and attended secondary school in Kilburn.
The Lib Dem councillor will be accompanied by Wembley’s own ironman – former Brent councillor, Peter Corcoran, who has completed ironman triathlons across the world and will run with Mr Lorber on March 24.
Mr Corcoran said: “The Bratislava Marathon is probably the last event in Europe I would have picked for a first-timer, given its tough winter training and five-hour time limit.
“Paul has trained very hard with quite a few icy midnight and 3am runs to accommodate his busy schedule.
“If only Paul had been born in Barcelona as the marathon there would have allowed him two more hours to complete the course and all summer to train.
“I hope people will see his wonderful effort to date as inspirational and also take part in similar sporting events.”
n To sponsor Paul send a cheque payable to Friends of Barham Library to Paul Lorber at 17 Stapenhill Road, Wembley, HA0 3JF. Donations can also be left at Barham Volunteer Library, 428 High Road Wembley, or in Daniels Estate Agents just a few doors down at 438 High Road.
