Ultrarunning con man cheated employees and charities
A London-based endurance athlete claimed to be raising CAD $1.3 million for UNICEF while running the circumference of the world
What seemed like a remarkable running-inspired charity endeavour has turned into a shocking tale of deception and unpaid debts. Extreme endurance athlete Tomasz Drybala of London claimed to be raising a whopping $1.3 million for UNICEF by running the circumference of the Earth, as reported in MailOnline—but it now appears that Drybala may well be a fraudster who is already working on his next con.
Drybala, 46, who is originally from Poland but makes his home in the U.K., allegedly hired employees in 2022 to help him on a three-year quest to raise more than $1 million (£785,000) for UNICEF, but left staff and donors tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket while enjoying himself on trips abroad. The charity launched an investigation into Dyrabala’s actions in January, after he admitted to raising a mere $25 (£20) before abandoning his fundraising project entirely.
UNICEF told MailOnline that allegations of fraud are taken very seriously and that they have “robust procedures in place to investigate allegations such as these.” The charity has stated it will involve the police and charity commission if the issue is not resolved.
Drybala is reported to owe more than $65,000 to individuals who worked for him over the past four years. In an attempt to appear legitimate and gain the attention of well-known brands like Red Bull, Dyrbala is alleged to have used fake promotional videos and forged testimonials.
How to keep yourself motivated
SELF-LEADERSHIP & HEALING ACCELERATOR by Tomasz Drybala👇https://t.co/8DH8hIrpMj#creatinghappiness #emotionalintelligence #motivationforlife #tomaszdrybala pic.twitter.com/sDGskeHRm6
— Tomasz Drybala (@Tomasz_Drybala) February 3, 2024
Drybala’s dubious actions don’t stop there. He also persuaded the University of Westminster to conduct research on his behalf and failed to provide payment, ultimately leaving the institution and researchers out of pocket.”Most of these allegations are taken [out of context] and are interpretations of facts, not facts themselves, which I can provide evidence for,” Drybala commented.
Now, Drybala has rebranded himself on his website as a “neuro-based leadership coach,” offering online courses at exorbitant prices. “I did not give up while running my four extreme challenges, logging over 3,000 hours and passing over 17,000 miles through 14 countries while sharing my neuroscience coaching techniques with over 50,000 people,” he writes. Drybala’s new venture relies on using neuroscience to create an online community of “neuro-leaders,” but buyers should beware.
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