Two colleagues from an award winning Leicestershire leisure centre operator have been selected as part of a regional team taking on the National 3-Peaks Challenge for charity next week.
Desmond Slack and Andy Clayfield will take on the iconic National 3-Peaks Challenge for Breast Cancer Now, alongside a team of colleagues and partner suppliers from Everyone Active.
Picture credit: Everyone Active
The challenge involves climbing the highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, as well as travelling the 450 miles between them, within 24 hours.
Starting at dawn on 4 April the team will climb Ben Nevis, before travelling to Scafell Pike and finally Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) finishing in the early hours of the morning, in an effort to raise £5,000 for the Everyone Active partner charity.
A duty manager at Ashby Leisure Centre and Lido, Desmond has trained in the gym around his shifts with the support of personal trainers based at the centre. He has also joined other local members of the team on hiking expeditions in nearby Bradgate Park, in preparation for covering the 10,000 feet of ascent the challenge involves.
Having witnessed the work of charities like Breast Cancer Now, he is passionate about doing all he can to support them. “If I have to suffer for 24 hours to help then it will have been worth it!” he says. “Training has been going well. I’m excited for the challenge and feeling both physically and mentally ready for it.”
A late addition to the team, sales manager for the North West Leicestershire contract Andy Clayfield has tackled the challenge before.
“I’m looking forward to renewing the experience,” he adds, “and raising money for Breast Cancer Now as we go will help us all push for the finish line.” With prior knowledge of the challenge, Andy knows how tricky it can be hiking quickly on steep paths in the early hours as well as the sleep deprivation travelling across the country involves.
Tackling the challenge at this time of the year is particularly difficult due to potential bad weather, with the long range forecast suggesting they may have to contend with snow and ice on Ben Nevis.
You can sponsor the National 3-Peaks Challenge team at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/3peaks-challenge-everyone-active
