A Grantham business owner and three friends are swapping their desks for kayaks and bikes to raise money for charity this summer.
The team of four plan to kayak 160 miles along the River Thames from its source in Lechlade to central London. They will then be jumping on bikes and cycling 150 miles back up to Lincolnshire.
Chris Webster, 46, (pictured during training) is taking on the challenge to raise money both for us and for local charity The Naomi Fund. His main motivation for this epic fundraising adventure is his teenage daughter Eleanor, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over two years ago at the age of 12.
Chris said: “There is no doubt this is going to be the toughest physical challenge of my life. I’m no sportsman, but I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone to raise money and awareness for Diabetes UK.
“Living with type 1 diabetes day in and day can be really tough at times and I would do anything to take that away from my daughter.
“Els doesn’t get a day off from this condition, it’s relentless. But I can do this. To raise money and support the fight to find a cure.”
Chris and his fellow challengers have been training hard and plan to complete the challenge in July.
Charlotte Wright, East Midlands Fundraiser at Diabetes UK said: "We want to thank Chris and his fellow challengers for taking on this incredible physical feat. Last year we saw demand for our services reach record levels, while our own funding was significantly impacted. This year is still going to be very challenging and, more so than ever, people with diabetes need us, but we need your support to be able to continue fighting their corner.
“Without the help of generous supporters like Chris, we simply would not be able to offer support to the thousands of people with diabetes contacting our helpline, to campaign to keep people with diabetes safe in the workplace, or to invest in vital research – taking us a step closer to our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.”
Read all about the challenge, get updates and find ways to sponsor the team at the webpage for the challenge.
