A TikTok star from Stroud with more than 1m followers scaled Mount Snowdon on Sunday to raise money for people affected by the death of a baby.
Dan Spragg, 33, worked in garages in Stroud and Quedgeley until the pandemic hit when, with a mortgage and kids to support, he turned to making social media content.
His videos went viral and now he’s using his platform to raise money for charity, including joining four others to raise more than £11,000 for SANDS: The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity.
“It’s blown up real quick so I’m still trying to come to terms with it and I’m not used to this kind of work," said Dan, who owns the Target Car Company in Bussage.
“It is a bit of a shock to the system to go from a garage and having no social media presence to now going to Tesco’s or the garage and getting people shouting at me or quoting things that I say on the internet.
“I enjoy it, I like it, you wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t like attention, everybody wants to be known on there. That’s why you post videos – you want people to watch them.
“But the main reason I enjoy it is I get lots of DMs and messages saying how much I’ve helped people through lockdown and lifted their spirits.”
The success of his TikTok comedy skits, motivational videos and live streams have opened doors for Dan into modelling and advertising, but now Mr Spragg says he wants to give something back.
On Sunday, the Whiteshill-born influencer joined three other TikTok stars to climb Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at more than 1,000m above sea level.
“The highest thing I’ve ever climbed is some stairs, I’ve never done anything like this,” said Mr Spragg before the climb, who lives in Brockworth with his partner, Chloe, and their two children.
“I am absolutely terrible with heights. I remember when my mum used to take me shopping in Stroud, if I looked over the multistory carpark I’d feel dizzy and horrible.
“So climbing a mountain is probably not the best thing for my fear but it’s all for a good cause.
You can donate to their fundraiser here, and in two weeks Dan will also be sleeping rough in Gloucester with Hollyoaks Star Adam Oakley to raise money for Shelter.
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