2 former rugby teammates are preparing to take on an epic 100-mile endurance challenge across the Isle of Wight to raise thousands of pounds for Mountbatten Isle of Wight.
Endurance enthusiasts Sam Tyson and Kemp Price will swim, cycle and run a combined 100 miles in a single day on Saturday 11th July, all in aid of the Island’s hospice charity.
Their ambitious challenge will begin with a 2-mile pier-to-pier sea swim from Sandown to Shanklin before they immediately set off on a gruelling 70-mile cycle around the Isle of Wight’s coastline.
To complete the feat, the pair will then tackle a 28-mile run following the iconic Walk the Wight route, with an additional loop through Newport to take the distance to a full ultramarathon before finishing at Freshwater Bay.
“Anyone who’s done Walk the Wight knows it feels like far more than a marathon,” said Sam.
“The elevation alone is tough, even on fresh legs. Combining that with a full Island cycle and a sea swim is going to be a serious test of endurance.”
Sam and Kemp said they wanted to undertake a challenge significant enough to encourage people to support Mountbatten at a time when many charities are facing increasing financial pressures.
“People don’t have money to spare right now, so we knew it had to be something significant,” Sam added.
Article continues below this advertisement “Lots of people have cycled around the Island or completed Walk the Wight on their own, and they know how hard those are individually. Doing all three together is what makes this such a challenge.”
The duo hope to complete the entire challenge in between 12 and 14 hours.
“Hopefully we’re not still going at 02:00 in the morning,” Sam joked. “But if we are, we are.”
Having originally set a fundraising target of £2,000, strong early backing has prompted Sam and Kemp to increase their goal to £5,000 to help fund Mountbatten’s end-of-life care and bereavement services.
“My dad has recently had Mountbatten support him at home,” Kemp said.
“Once that care touches your family, you realise just how important it is.”
Funds raised will help Mountbatten continue providing expert care across the Isle of Wight, with around 85% of its services delivered in patients’ homes, alongside care provided through its inpatient unit in Newport and outpatient and day services at the John Cheverton Centre.
The challenge has already attracted support from across the Island, with Beach Boys Water Sports providing safety cover during the opening swim and friends and family assisting throughout the day.
Members of the public are also invited to join Sam and Kemp for sections of the cycle or run. However, the pair stress this is not an organised event and anyone taking part does so at their own risk.
Those wishing to support the challenge can sponsor Sam and Kemp through their online fundraising page and follow their progress on social media.
