Scotland’s keepie uppie champion, Graeme Lightbody, visited Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance’s (SCAA) Perth base to show off his skills ahead of the launch of the charity’s 3,000 Keepie Uppies in August challenge.
In support of the challenge, and indeed the charity, Graeme challenged himself to do 3,000 keepie uppies in one go.
He said: “My record for keepie uppies is 77,400 – it took me eight hours, five minutes.
“I started that challenge at my local leisure centre at 8am and finished at 5.05pm. It was hard going but I put in a lot of training."
Graeme, 62, admits it takes a great deal of stamina, training and concentration to reach those figures.
SCAA is asking Scots to complete 3,000 Keepie Uppies in August in aid of our life-saving national charity.
It took Graeme just 24 minutes to complete 3,000 keepie uppies around our Helimed76 air ambulance.
SCAA staff and crew were cheering on Graeme at the Perth base as the Glaswegian made light work of the 3,000 target.
“The August SCAA challenge sounds like a lot of fun and the main thing is that it’s all in support of this great charity,” he commented.
“The crew here do incredible work and we really need them in Scotland. This is a fun challenge, and I would say just got for it!”
Being the Scottish keepie uppie champion, this hobby has taken Graeme all over the country and enabled him to play in football stadiums throughout Scotland.
His top tips for anyone taking on SCAA’s 3,000 Keepie Uppies in August challenge include concentrating on the ball, avoiding windy conditions, and using anything that helps you focus. For Graeme, that includes music. When completing his keepie uppies at the SCAA base, he kept his eye on the ball while enjoying music from the likes of U2 and Celine Dion.
Graeme said: “This passion and hobby began when I was seven years old – I always had a ball at my feet – I love it and love that it takes me to such interesting places.
“But doing it for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance is another highlight for me!”
