Can I run the height of Everest, cycle the height of Everest, and Stand-Up-Paddleboard to the UK's highest canal point (in 3 successive months)? And why would I even contemplate doing this?
On the shortest day of 2014, I attempted to 'run' the height of Everest (8,848m) by doing reps on Hill 60 in Roundhay Park, Leeds. 19.5 hours later I was broken - exhausted, legs like jelly, shivering, throwing up - but I'd done the 471 laps necessary of the 18.785m tall hill. A key part of being able to do that crazy challenge, probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, was the incredible support of those who came out to join in and encourage. I still remember that clearly, and it made the day (and night!) what it was. And together we raised over £3,000 for good causes including Cancer Research UK, MacMillan and Pancreatic Cancer UK - causes that were particularly meaningful to me at the time.
Fast-forward almost exactly 10 years and I find myself fatter, weaker, more diabetic, and a lot less confident in my ability to successfully do anything like that ever again. 10 years is a long time, in which a lot can change, but I find myself painfully reminded of how fragile life can be. Often when I hear of other's lived experiences I feel helpless. But something I'm aware of now has driven me to want to try and make a difference, in the only way I probably can, through raising money for 3 small but powerful and impactful charities - Ocular Melanoma UK, St Gemma's Hospice, and The Swan Song Project. I'll post separately about each of them in the coming weeks, but please trust me when I say that each makes a real, sensitive, caring and powerful impact on the lives of people suffering and nearing the end of their lives, often way too prematurely.
To raise this money I'm setting myself the challenge of repeating the Everest run and so climbing the full height of Everest in a single session. Annoyingly in the intervening 10 years Everest has grown by 1m, making it 8,849m tall now! But to raise the bar, and hopefully ultimately the £5,000 I'm targeting I will also be attempting a cycling Everest, and a long-distance Stand Up Paddleboard trip to reach the highest point on the canal network in the UK. I'll be aiming to do the Everest run in May, the Everest cycle in June, and the SUP in July 2025 (specific dates to be worked out shortly).
Doing all three of these will undoubtedly be the hardest challenge I have ever set myself. Your donation to these charities will help me on my way as I train and attempt these. I'll also be welcoming any and all support during the events themselves.
I'll post more details about each challenge in the separate updates below.
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£5,000 target | 26 supporters
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