TWO pals are clocking up the miles ahead of a showdown to raise cash for charity.

Despite being paralysed from the chest down, Jim Taylor is preparing to join his long-time friend Gordon Hollerin for an unusual marathon challenge.

Jim will be cheering on Gordon as he runs the London Marathon and, at the same time, will tackle his own test of endurance by using an arm exerciser to attempt to match him mile for mile.

Both men will be raising money for the Hearts+Balls charity, which supports rugby players and their families in times of need.

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At the age of 23, Jim’s rugby career was tragically cut short after he broke his neck while playing for Kelvinside Academicals – an injury that left him paralysed.

However, 61-year-old Gordon, from Newton Mearns, knows his good friend will be vigorously cycling his arms in a bid to beat the time it takes him to make his way round the streets of London.

He told the Barrhead News: “Jim is the most inspiring person I know, so my main focus will be to make sure I don’t let him down.

“I certainly faced my own fair share of injuries during more than 30 years of playing rugby but I’m incredibly lucky to be in a position that I’m able to run a marathon, even if I’m unlikely to break any records.”

Gordon, secretary of Glasgow High Kelvinside rugby club, added: “Hearts+Balls is a wonderful charity.

“While very few suffer life-changing injuries, it’s testament to the rugby community that, when someone does, everyone pulls together.”

Gordon, who works as an insolvency lawyer for Harper Macleod, is currently training five times a week, with Hearts+Balls ambassador Jim also putting in the hard yards on a ‘road roller’ he received from the charity to help him be more active.

Jim, who is still involved in rugby as partnerships manager for the Glasgow Warriors, said: “The charity has supported my family and I in so many ways over the years and the recent donation of a road roller has been life changing.

“I’m really enjoying the training and building my fitness back up. My wife thinks I’m daft but I’ll never back down from a challenge.

“Although he’s my rival for now, I’m incredibly grateful to Gordon and all those who make the effort to fundraise for a charity which has given me so much.”