A brave team of eight from Stockport successfully took on the punishing Man v Mountain endurance challenge for mental health charity Mind in September.
The team of staff from Life Leisure, which runs 12 sports and leisure facilities across Stockport, completed the Man v Mountain challenge which consists of a 22-mile run starting at sea level and climbing to the top of Mount Snowdon – the highest peak in England and Wales – before taking on a series of obstacles in order to complete the race.
The team faced incredibly tough conditions on the day, encountering gale force winds of up to 60mph and torrential rain the whole way around the course.
This was all while facing challenges such as the infamous ‘vertical kilometre’, an abseil, and quarry jump among several others.
Preparing for the Man v Mountain event took months of vigorous training which the team undertook together during their spare time. However, for one member of the team, Laura Mylotte, all the training was nearly for nothing after she sustained a back injury just days before the event.
Laura said: “I was actually bed bound for 3 days and really didn’t think I was going to be able to do the race, but after all the training I was determined to do everything I could to make it to the start line with the team and at least give it a go.
“This involved a few sessions with the physiotherapist at one of our Life Leisure centres and also a session on the fantastic Alter G anti-gravity treadmill based at Avondale Health Hub.
“I still cannot believe that I not only started but completed the full 22 mile race and obstacle course. We ran it as a team and five of us crossed the line together.”
As well as getting themselves around the course, participants were required to run with mandatory kit at all times, which included a back pack, waterproof jacket and trousers, a water bladder with a minimum of 1 litre of water, a mini first aid kit and foil blanket, and 400 calories of food.
Despite the gruelling nature of the event and the challenging weather conditions, all team members made it round the course in under six hours.
Laura added: “We signed up for the Man v Mountain event to challenge ourselves, but most importantly to raise money and awareness for Mind.
“Mental health is something that can affect you at any stage in your life, whether it be yourself or someone close to you.
“By raising awareness we hope that more people will take some time to look into the issues surrounding it and learn what they can do to identify it.”
You can still contribute to the team’s fundraising efforts through their JustGiving page