A gym coach who lives in Tooting Bec is going to undertake a tough rowing challenge to raise money for a Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charity.

Andy McTaggart, 33, will row for 36 hours to fundraise for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, a charity established by former rugby player and MND sufferer Doddie Weir.

The row, which is taking place at Andy’s workplace CrossFit Shapesmiths gym in Clapham Junction, begins at 12am on Saturday, June 30, and will continue until 12pm on Sunday, July 1.

By Guinness World Record standards, for a row to count as continuous, it’s required participants row for 50 minutes every hour.

His breaks will last a maximum of ten minutes, refuelling with healthy snacks, but if he’s in need of a mental boost, he will eat Papa John’s pizza.

Andy told Wandsworth Guardian the biggest issue he faces is rehydration, which is key before, during and after the event, and two nutritionists will be present.

A former rugby player in South Africa, Andy was inspired to complete the physical test after growing up watching Doddie Weir, who announced he has MND last year.

He said: “All I have ever done is play sport. I can’t think of anything worse than the body wasting away and not being to move or play sport. The challenge is a celebration of what I’ve got, I can move and exercise.”

To prepare for his challenge, he has been continuing with his Crossfit training, which is a combination of gymnastics, weightlifting and metabolical conditioning.

He is focusing on covering distance rather than the daunting time length, aiming to cover a minimum of 10 and half km every hour, but is hoping to reach 11 and half km.

The community have rallied around Andy, with 77 local people agreeing to accompany him for parts of his row.

So far, Andy has raised more than £1,000 for the charity and is continuing fundraising until October.

Jill Douglas, co-ordinator of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We are absolutely thrilled and delighted. Completing the challenge is a great way of showing commitment. The fact that Andy is willing to take on this challenge shows how dedicated he is.”