Nottingham-based strength coach Danny Mulligan is half way to his £10,000 fundraising target after being inspired by a friend with breast cancer.

Danny said he did it because “everyone is affected by cancer”, and because he wanted to prove that fitness can be used for something bigger than personal goals.

Last month, he set the world record for the most weight deadlifted in 24 hours, lifting 821,471kg, breaking the previous record of 580,220kg, while raising money for cancer causes.

He said that a close friend of his is currently undergoing breast cancer treatment. “If she can put up with cancer treatment,” he said. “I can put up with hours of training.”

The cause, he said, gave the challenge its meaning and made quitting unthinkable.

“Once people put their money behind you, quitting isn’t an option”
Danny Mulligan, world deadlift record holder

The moment he officially broke the record came 17 hours and 15 minutes into the attempt, although he didn’t realise straight away.

“I was bracing myself for this really special moment,” he said. “Then everyone was like, ‘Dan, you’ve already broken it.'”

Danny recovering during his 24-hour challenge (Credit: Danny Mulligan)

Instead of stopping, Danny kept lifting for almost six more hours. He says the aim was not just to break the record, but to make it “really hard to beat”, and to attract attention for the fundraiser.

“If I had just broken it, it wouldn’t have got the attention,” he said. “Pushing it further raises more money.”

The toughest part was not fatigue, but pain.

“My hands were so blistered. That pain has left a dent in my brain.”
Danny Mulligan

At the time of the interview, Danny’s fundraiser stands at £5,765 towards a £10,000 target – a goal he described as almost as demanding as the physical challenge itself.

Danny’s arm covered in blood late into his attempt (Credit: Danny Mulligan)

Now, Danny says the challenge has pushed him to think bigger.

He will be competing in a bodybuilding competition soon and is already considering future endurance-based records, including a 24-hour pull-up attempt.

Alongside this, Danny has long-term ambitions that combine extreme strength with elite endurance: “I don’t think anyone else on earth can deadlift 300kg and run a sub-three-hour marathon.”

“I’ve never felt this much meaning in anything I’ve done.”
Danny Mulligan, fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support

Donations can be made via Danny Mulligan’s JustGiving page here.