A team of crazy golfers from Chard has completed the Red Bull Soapbox Race 2017 to raise money for Diabetes UK.
The international event was held at Alexandra Palace, London on 9 July. Amateur drivers raced homemade non-motorised soapbox vehicles – the more imaginative the better - on a downhill course.
Clive Fisk, 74, piloted his team’s entry, Golf’s Trolley Dollies, accompanied by a pit crew comprising fellow members of Cricket St Thomas Golf Club, Andy Beale, 67, and club pro Liam Clarke, 32, and Daniel Pugh, 42, from London.
Their soapbox was based on a golf trolley with a modified Red Bull fridge mounted on it and some golf clubs sticking out of the top. The four dressed as air stewardesses with wings – a nod in the direction of the famous Red Bull “gives you wings” slogan.They danced to the song, “Little White Bull” – “Little Red Bull” in their version – before Clive hurtled down the course on the trolley.
Clive Fisk said: “Out of an alleged 7,000 applications only 70 teams were selected, judged on creativity, design and sheer madness.
“I climbed Kilimanjaro for charity when I was 65 and thought what can be more challenging than that? Steering a golf trolley soapbox down a steep hill avoiding chicanes and going over jumps seemed to be the obvious choice and, as my son has Type 1 diabetes, what could be more fitting than to raise money for Diabetes UK at the same time?”
Annika Palmer, south west regional head of Diabetes UK, said: “We’ve got our fingers well and truly crossed for Clive and his team as they enter this amazing event, which really has to be the wackiest race of them all. Diabetes UK is committed to creating a world where diabetes can do no harm, so we really hope that these particular fundraisers can bear that in mind as their vehicle hurtles down the course!”
But it’s not all about winning the race. Entries were also judged on creativity and showmanship, and there was an award for "the people's choice".
You can read more about the Trolley Dollies and the Red Bull Soap Box race in theblogwritten by our regional fundraiser Louise Trott.
