The Nottingham gym team tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks!
A team of members and staff from the gym at the National Water Sports Centre are taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise money for Maggie’s Centre - a charity that helps people affected by cancer in Nottingham. The Yorkshire Three Peaks is a 24-mile round trip and includes a 1585m ascent. The team will climb to the peaks of Pen-y-Ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres), and Ingleborough (723 metres) on Saturday 10th June.
The gym community is close-knit, and the team have decided to take on a serious fitness challenge whilst also raising money for a great cause.
Long-term gym member Hannah Walters gives us an insight into how preparation is going…
How did it all come about?
A gym, for most people, is simply a place to go and exercise, but for many of us taking part in classes at The National Water Sports Centre gym, it has become so much more than that.
We’ve created a community and friendships that go above and beyond going through the nightmare of burpees, jump lunges and squats together! Rachael, our gym manager, has always spoken about her love for hiking and her experience of completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks - and she proposed the idea to us all!
Simply add in me - a gym member who lives for organising a social - and the event is in our diaries before we know it! We've booked a lodge, our t-shirts are on order and some entertainment is being organised - we're trying to make this as fun as we can!
Who are you doing the charity hike for?
An initial meeting between myself and Rachael, our gym manager led to the decision to raise money for the Maggie’s Centre in Nottingham. Cancer has touched the lives of many of our members and staff and we felt strongly that we wanted to support a charity which we could build strong links with. Maggie's provides free practical, emotional, and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends. A number of our team spent a fantastic afternoon at the centre and gained a true sense of the incredible place it is, and the extent of the support offered to anyone affected by cancer.
How much are you looking to raise?
It costs £2,400 to run a Maggie’s centre for the day so that was our target! However, we were always hoping to exceed this.
Where does the money go?
Every week the money donated via our JustGiving page goes directly to the Maggie’s Centre in Nottingham.
Where can people donate?
People can donate through our JustGiving page. Alternatively, the team can accept any offline donations too. Please speak with the staff in the gym and they'll be able to point you in the right direction.
Can people still join the hike?
The Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge has now been finalised. However, we have plans to continue our partnership with Maggie’s and hope to plan further events.
How have you all been training for the challenge?
A number of the team are already keen on walking and regularly get the miles in! However, we have other team members that are much less experienced and have been upping their game. Rachael and the rest of the fantastic staff at the National Water Sports Centre gym regularly put us through our paces with classes such as Sweat, Metcon, Watt Bike and Circuits.
What's the plan on the day?
The team will be travelling down on Friday 9th June, meeting at the lodge, trying to relax for the evening before the hard work begins! We will then be aiming to start the challenge at around 5:30am on Saturday morning. We hope to complete the full challenge (24 miles) within 12 hours but won’t be putting too much pressure on ourselves.
How much of a fitness test will this be?
We’ll let you know once we’ve done it!
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