Physiotherapy students at the University of Worcester will be taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of charity.
The students and their lecturer will take on some of the toughest mountains in the north of the UK to raise funds for mental health charity Mind.
Second year student Fran Ruggieri, who helped organise the climb, said: “As Physiotherapy students we’re all trying to promote exercise to the public so we just want to practise what we preach; we’re using that as motivation.”
The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge involves taking on the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, and the walk in between each ascent, within 12 hours.
The challenge, which starts at 6am, on Sunday, May 26, will see the students cover 24 miles and includes 1,585m of ascent. They hope to raise £3,000, and have already reached £1,100.
The 25 Physiotherapy students taking part are all members of the newly formed University of Worcester Physiotherapy Society, which was founded in September, and this is the first major fundraising challenge the group has attempted. They will be joined by the University’s Senior Physiotherapy Lecturer, Gordon Smith.
Fran was one of four students who have spearheaded the challenge; Emily Oscroft and Jack Graham, both second year students who founded the society, and first year student Orla McKay, who has mountain hiking and climbing experience.
“We wanted to do something big,” said Fran. “We wanted to pay tribute to the work the charity does and do something that was going to be something physically and mentally demanding. There has been a recent push to talk more about mental health so we hope this raises awareness. But also I think everybody in our group whether personally or professionally has been affected by mental health in some way so it’s a charity we’re quite passionate about.”
The group have been training together for the last three months, taking on the Malvern Hills for practice, and have covered up to 16 miles in training.
Orla said: “The Yorkshire Three Peaks is one of the most underrated challenges in the hiking world. The challenge is set across 24 miles of uneven and mountainous terrain. For even the most elite mountain climbers, it’s an endurance test and, as a team of students, we have been training hard to give ourselves the best chance of completing the challenge. In addition to the uneven terrain, endurance, and mental and physical fatigue we will have to overcome, the mountains bring their own challenges. It’s well known that when at such heights, the mountains have their own climate! We could face walking for 12 hours in torrential rain with poor visibility, but it’s all for a good cause.”
“Everyone’s a bit nervous but we’re excited as well so it will be a nice way to end the year as a group,” added Fran. “I think there’s no way we can train for it completely. The main challenge will be getting through it when we’re in pain.”
To sponsor the challenge visit: https://www.gofundme.com/worcester-physiotherapy-yorkshire-three-peaks.