Not all heroes wear capes. Some put on their walking boots, face 34 hours of exhaustion, pain, little sleep and some seriously tough conditions - all to support a charity they believe in.
That is exactly what Charlie and Emma from Coombes Wood House in Kingsteignton have done for Kingscare. Once again, Charlie and her dedicated team have taken on an incredible challenge to raise money for Kingscare, this time completing the National Three Peaks Challenge and raising a staggering £2,435. It is a remarkable achievement in itself, but for Charlie, this challenge was about much more than reaching the top of three mountains.
Last year, Charlie and her team climbed Eryri (Snowdonia) to raise money for Kingscare, raising an incredible £5,000. Their commitment to supporting Kingscare and the people we work with in our local community continues, and this year they decided to take on an even bigger challenge.
34 hours, 95,918 steps and three mountains
Charlie and Emma set off on Friday 14th August at 6.07am, beginning their attempt to complete Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Eryri (Snowdonia) within the iconic 24-hour target. They finally crossed the finish line on Saturday 15th August at 4.12pm, completing the challenge in 34 hours and 5 minutes.
That meant:
95,918 steps.
34 hours awake, with just one hour of sleep.
Ben Nevis – 39,317 steps.
Scafell Pike – 27,652 steps.
Snowdon – 28,620 steps.
Speaking to Jayne, Manager at Kingscare, afterwards, Charlie described just how tough the challenge really was. Charlie said “We started at 6am and the weather was terrible; it was raining the whole time and we didn’t get any views up any of the mountains. We didn’t get any sleep, we shared the driving, and it took us longer than we hoped.”
The journey between the peaks brought its own challenges. Traffic and diversions meant that the drive from Glasgow to Scafell Pike took nine hours, adding even more exhaustion to an already gruelling challenge. Thank you Paige Marie for helping with the driving.
Charlie said “We were so tired. Fran met us at Scafell, which was nice as she was full of energy, which gave us a much-needed boost!” The group were also supported by Lisa, who made sure they had everything and kept them fed.
Their original goal had been to complete the challenge within 24 hours. They gave it everything they had, but the conditions, traffic, getting lost and sheer exhaustion meant it took longer than planned… but they kept going and they finished.
For Charlie, there is a deeply personal reason why she continues to raise money for Kingscare. During her time at Coombes Wood House, Charlie knew Linda Baker, who had previously worked there and who had been supported by Kingscare.
Charlie told Jayne “Linda Baker worked here and was so good to me and looked out for me. She would’ve been lost without Kingscare. She had no family and you got her to her doctor’s appointments. She spoke about Kingscare every day so I keep going in her memory.”
That connection is at the heart of why Charlie continues to support Kingscare. She said “All of our residents and their families have come across Kingscare and there are not enough people out there like you.”
Those words mean an enormous amount to all of us at Kingscare.
Every year, our volunteers and team support local people with community transport, wellbeing, mental health, social opportunities, dementia support and much more. For some people, the difference that Kingscare makes is not simply convenient – it can be a lifeline. Knowing that people like Charlie and Emma see that impact first-hand, and are willing to push themselves so far to help us continue that work, makes us incredibly emotional.
Before Charlie, Emma and the team set off, a few members of the Kingscare team visited them to wish them luck and bring them some much-needed food and drinks for the challenge ahead. We wanted them to know that, even though they would be the ones climbing the mountains, they were not doing it alone. We were delighted to visit them afterwards, hear about their incredible experience and celebrate what they had achieved.
Jayne, Manager at Kingscare, said: “It’s not a cake sale. This is extraordinary. The National Three Peaks Challenge is an enormous demand on both your physical and mental wellbeing. The challenge is not simply climbing three mountains. It is doing so against the clock, travelling between them, driving, dealing with exhaustion, barely sleeping and finding the determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other when your body is tired.”
Charlie and Emma did exactly that. Arriving home at around 11pm on Saturday, Charlie was back at work on Sunday!
For Jayne and the whole Kingscare team, their commitment has been incredibly moving. Jayne said “The love and spirit around Kingscare is immense and it’s thanks to people like you who do this to support us. The whole team are in awe of their dedication, selflessness and kindness.”
To Charlie, Emma, Paige, Lisa, Fran and everyone who supported the challenge -thank you. The £2,435 raised will help us continue supporting local people living with dementia and their families, and the wider community we are here to serve.
From everyone at Kingscare, we could not be more proud of you.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some climb mountains.
