Workout challenge raises charity cash
GYM-GOERS took on a 24 hour workout to raise money for a charity which helps people with a muscle wasting disease.
Fitness fans at the CrossFit MaxOn gym, on Hulley Road in Macclesfield, set themselves the challenge of doing high intensity workouts on the hour every hour over a 24 hour period to raise funds for Duchenne UK, a charity which aims to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
The illness mainly affects boys and causes muscle loss, limiting the person’s life expectancy.
Sally Gilliver, owner of the gym, learned about the work of the charity through a friend and decided her gym could raise money to help.
She and co-owners Antonia Fitzgerald and Łukasz Majewski, with members Laura Jennifer Smith, Lizzie Owen, Victoria Brewster, Dave Boulton and Simon Hampson, took on the 24 hour challenge and raised around £3,600.
Sally said: “It was fantastic. We were blown away with the support we had for such an important cause. We didn’t do a single workout without another MaxOn member being there and joining in too, even in the early hours.
“My friend entered me in another event, the Duchenne Dash in June, and when I looked into the charity I realised what a good charity it is.
“Now I’ve met a few people who have children with the illness and it’s spurred me on.
“It’s appropriate for us because CrossFit is all about keeping muscles strong.”
Those who took part in the challenge did high intensity workouts each hour, including running, rowing, weightlifting, gymnastics, push ups and pull ups.
All eight competitors managed every workout and members came along to join in or show support.
Co-owner Łukasz said: “We’re always up for a challenge, for charity or personal reasons, and when one of our members brought the idea up we thought it was a good challenge and took it from there.
“We were really surprised by how much support we got.
“It was tough on very little sleep. I would try to catch up on some sleep between workouts but it was worth it for the money we raised.
“It’s an incredible amount of money and we thank everyone who supported us in the workouts, with food and supplies and by cheering us on.”