The robber turned runner helping young people stay on the straight and narrow

 

McAvoy pounds the pavement during a training session. Image: James Mitchell

Ten years ago, John McAvoy was serving a double life sentence for armed robbery. Today, he’s a multiple world record holding triathlete and founder of a new project training and mentoring disadvantaged young people through the lens of trail running

John McAvoy could see the Securicor van parked on the gas station forecourt from his parked car on the adjacent road. For seasoned professionals, the mission was simple: Kevin would wait for the driver to exit the vehicle, confront him with a loaded gun, and steal the car. McAvoy would follow in a car to the nearby rugby field, where they would break into a van, steal the $250,000 inside, and then vanish. But Kevin was nowhere to be found, and the guard was in the forecourt shop. What did he have on?

Unexpectedly, an automobile swung behind McAvoy's and spun out from the curb. Then another, this time in front, followed by a third that boxed him in. McAvoy and Kevin Brown had been observed by the police all week while they looked for work. However, John McAvoy wasn't prepared to return to prison.

A symphony of sirens chased him as he mounted the sidewalk and dashed through Eltham's back alleys. From previous experience, McAvoy knew it would only be a matter of time before a helicopter joined them, which would mean the battle was ended. He abandoned the automobile in a residential area and fled on foot, ultimately reaching a courtyard filled with garages—a dead end. Numerous armed police officers entered through the bottle neck. McAvoy would receive a double life sentence this time.

That occurred in 2005. The John McAvoy in front of me right now is a multi-time world record-holding triathlete who is sponsored by Nike. A case study of one person showing that character does not determine fate and that opportunity reveals character. And he wants to give back. Through the Alpine Run Project, he is assisting 13 underprivileged young people in making positive changes in their lives through athletics, mentoring, and his extraordinary example.

McAvoy is guiding the group through a six-month program in conjunction with the nonprofit Youth Beyond Borders, which will culminate in their participation on the grueling Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. By 2027, he wants 100,000 young people from underprivileged backgrounds in cities all around Europe to go trail running. They are the first cohort in this much broader project.

Participants have been paired with top coaches, and McAvoy provides his own motivation through weekly online check-ins. Participants gathered in the Peak District in May for a training camp.

He explains to me that "some of the kids had never been outside of the city." Nimrah, an 18-year-old from a Newcastle family of Kurdish refugees who runs while wearing a hijab, was one of his charges but had never even boarded a train. "She was completely alight when she arrived in the Peak District. What she will be like when she sees Mont Blanc is beyond my imagination.

The McAvoy name is well-known in South London, where John is from. One of the largest robberies in British history, the 1983 Brinks Mat heist was planned by John's uncle Micky McAvoy, also known as "the nutter." When the police arrived in search of the gold, they paid John's mother a visit, with an officer pulling the infant out of his cot to check under the mattress for any hidden treasure.

Billy Tobin, his mother's ex-husband and another renowned armed robber, served as McAvoy's closest male role model growing up after his father passed away before he was born. The catalyst for McAvoy's life appears to have been Tobin's 16-year sentence's end.

McAvoy with his first cohort of young runners in the Peak District. Image: Alpine Run

McAvoy training in the Peak District with his first group of young runners. The Alpine Run.

Billy was a Porsche driver. Billy owned a residence near the Champs Elysées. He possessed the ability to talk to everyone and the indescribable toughness of someone who had once seen his own father killed in a bar. Billy was well-known. He acted with a lot of gravitas.

John learned how to count money from Billy. He advised him not to ever carry a phone. never to speak while driving or inside a building, and to always cover your lips when speaking outside. to never be in a situation where you can't easily walk away. He discussed class warfare and thievery with him. "The system f*cks the working man, we f*ck the system," he declared.

When John was 16 years old, a Turkish criminal sold him a sawn-off shotgun in the parking lot of The Plough pub in Dulwich. By the age of 24, John was being held in the HMP Belmarsh maximum security prison while he awaited trial for the unsuccessful robbery of the Securicor van in Eltham.

David, who’s on the Alpine Run programme, says it changed his life. Image: Alpine Run

Participant David claims that the Alpine Run program improved his life. The Alpine Run.

It was me, a man who had been sentenced to death for carrying out a contract killing, the 21/7 suicide bombers, and Abu Hamza, according to John. John was welcomed by Abu Hamza, a hate preacher with a hook for a hand, who gave him a multipack of Weetabix and a copy of the Koran.

After being transferred to HMP Full Sutton, McAvoy spent the majority of his time talking on the phone with friends while he plotted his escape. The works: fake identity, Spain. Before learning that his closest friend had perished during a police chase while evading a robbery in the Netherlands.

The news item appeared on News at Ten. "They displayed a still image taken from a CCTV camera immediately before the lens was painted. I recognized Aaron because I could see his eyes through the balaclava, he says. "I decided then and there that I wanted to leave this dangerous environment. My life was going down the gutter.

Refugees and teens who grew up in care are among the participants. Image: Alpine Run

Participants include teenagers who were raised in foster care and refugees. The Alpine Run.

He spent as much time as he could on the rowing machine in the gym to get away from negative influences. When Darren Davis, a prison official, observed the fast speeds John was producing, he approached him and presented him with a sheet of paper listing numerous indoor records from the UK and around the globe. He offered to assist him break them by obtaining the required authorizations and oversights. McAvoy had the lot demolished in 18 months.

"There wouldn't be'me' without Darren. With obvious regard, McAvoy says, "He's a fantastic human being. Darren has never missed a race up until this point.

Since McAvoy developed an obsession with the Tour de France while incarcerated, the Alps have special meaning for him. He currently resides and trains in the Alps d'Huez. He says, "I want to help other people experience this location. "I want to open doors so that these kids can realize how large and gorgeous the world is. to demonstrate to them that it is feasible.

When discussing his students, McAvoy is jubilant, but he has a soft spot in his heart for David, a 20-year-old Mancunian. David was raised in foster care and moved around between several juvenile detention facilities before he accidentally discovered running after being prodded into it by his keyworkers at a secure unit. His life was altered by it.

"I want to unlock doors for these young people to see how big and beautiful the world is"

He met Terry, a coach, through a jogging group. Terry and his wife would go on to foster him. David has gone all in, sleeping in an oxygen tent in his bedroom three times a week to simulate the air at altitude. McAvoy exclaims, "He's phenomenal," seeing the strange connections in their tales.

Mutual feeling exists. "I didn't end up in jail like John, but I was undoubtedly headed there. He's a tremendously inspirational man who came back from the brink," adds David. What does he hope to accomplish with the endeavor, I ask him? "I want to run for a living." Like John, I want to find sponsorship. David pauses and smoothes his long, dark hair with his hand.

"I also want to tell my tale to the world. Being in care is quite difficult. I've witnessed the system break a lot of young people. I want to demonstrate to them that if you simply keep going, there is light on the other side. You simply must continue.