Eleven mad men and one mad woman have raised over £17,000 for Queenscourt Hospice and other charities – by successfully climbing the three highest mountains in England, Wales and Scotland!
‘Team Mad Men’ completed their three peaks challenge in just 24 hours as they scaled Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District in England and Mount Snowdon in Wales.
For the average person, this sounds ridiculous, which is why this team coined the name Mad Men.
All of this was in aid of local charities which were close to all the participants’ hearts. These included Queenscourt Hospice, The Derby Rimmer MND Foundation and Evergreen Blossom Academy.
In total they have raised £17,000 with donations still being made.
The challenge commenced at 6.45pm on a Friday after a nine and a half hour trip to Fort William due to road closures. Paul Blane who is one of the Mad Men team commented that the journey to Ben Nevis itself was a major challenge and the fact that they started the ascent later than planned of the UK’s largest mountain, meant that they were met with descending in darkness.
Many local companies helped the team to complete the challenge including Stanley High School, Care Business Associate Training, Mendo Design, Resonates Media and Blast Mens Training.
Phil Parkes, a key organiser and one of the Mad Men, stated that without the assistance of these businesses, none of this would have been possible.
The team themselves are made up of local people from Southport who set out on a mission to get fit. With the assistance of Mark Poole and his team at Blast Training, they set themselves a rigorous program of cardio and strength training.
Michael Parkes, who completed the challenge with his brother Phil, recalls that all the training was worthwhile the moment he and his brother touched the top of Snowdon.
He said: “It’s a moment I will never forget.”
One memory that Michael Sutton recalls is the moment his son and daughter came running towards him nearing the finish. With a tear in his eye, he knew just what the team had achieved both physically and mentally.
The views from the top of the mountains were spectacular and members of the team were treated to an amazing spectacle as they reached the summit of Scafell Pike. Anna McNally commented that the team got to see a circular rainbow, a real phenomenon.
All of the team wanted to pay tribute to everyone who supported them on social media throughout the challenge and those in particular who turned up to Snowdon and cheered everyone on as they crossed the finish line.
The amounts raised will make a significant difference to people’s lives.
Martin Farrell said: “Every one of these charities means something to us all.
“For me in particular I’ve seen how Motor Neurone Disease can affect a person’s life. It was all those sponsors that drove us on to complete the challenge.”
You can still donate at https://gofund.me/747369cc and follow the Mad Men on Facebook @24hrmadmen to see what their next big challenge is.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
