A LOCAL hero, who is rowing his way around the world for charity, has been honoured on a special wall.

Dave Holby, 29, has raised more than £13,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer over the last two years on a static rowing machine in The Malls shopping centre, Basingstoke, where he is rowing 40,075 kilometres – more than 25,000 miles – around the world’s equator.

Affectionately known as Dave the Rower, the actor, of Rainham Close, Kempshott, Basingstoke, was honoured by the charity at an event in London.

His name has been included on the charity’s fourth Challenger’s Wall at the Institute of Cancer Research in Chelsea, where scientists work to develop pioneering new breast cancer treatments.

The rower, who chose Breakthrough Breast Cancer in memory of his grandmother who died of the disease when he was a boy, said: “After losing my grandmother, I felt I could offer my support by raising money for research into the disease.

“While completing the row, I have met a variety of women who have had, or still have, the disease and they inspire me to raise more money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

“It has been a great experience and I would encourage other people to do the same.”

Dave began his incredible undertaking in 2008 and he now has less than 7,000km left to row. His fundraising target is £55,000 and his feat will set a new Guinness World Record.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s £1,000 Challenge is the charity’s flagship fundraising campaign, and encourages fundraisers to come up with innovative ways to raise money.

After raising £1,000, challengers are honoured with a dedicated name on their wall. At the unveiling ceremony, Dave took a tour of the research centre to see how the money raised is being spent.

Professor Alan Ashworth, director of Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, said: “Everyone who becomes a Challenger makes a real difference.

“It is only through the support of these individual fundraisers that we can find new treatments to help eradicate breast cancer for good.”

The charity works to prevent, treat and, ultimately, eradicate breast cancer through research, campaigning and education, and the Breakthrough £1,000 Challenge has raised £15million so far.

Nearly 46,000 women and 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and one in nine women in the UK will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.

More information can be found at breakthrough.org.uk/challenge.

To sponsor Dave, you can visit justgiving.co.uk/worldrecordrow.