Bosses’ 8-day cross-country challenge
A TEAM of four senior managers including David Richardson from DS Smith’s Burscough site, has completed a 289 mile cycle, kayak and run from Brussels to London, raising more than £70,000 for Heart Research UK and Cancer Research UK.
The eight day pursuit began at the packaging and supply chain specialist’s European head office in Belgium.
David Richardson and the team cycled 170 miles from Roeselare to Calais, kayaked 19 miles across the English Channel, and completed the challenge with a 100 mile run from Rye to DS Smith’s Group head office in London.
Due to severe weather conditions, the team was forced to cut their Channel crossing short after only nine miles, but David and the team completed the remaining distance on a rowing machine.
David Richardson, managing director at DS Smith’s Burscough site, said: “This was one of the toughest challenges I have taken on to date.
“It took me completely out of my comfort zone, particularly kayaking against the immense sea swell of the English Channel and dealing with continuous blisters during the run.
“I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity and, on reflection, feel really proud of the enormity of what we have achieved and the subsequent impact the money raised will have.
“Fitness has now become an ingrained part of my lifestyle and I can’t wait to take part in the next challenge like this.
“All in all, it was a fantastic experience, undertaken with some great friends in aid of two worthy causes, what more do you need to inspire you than that?”
The team has so far raised £70,000 for Heart Research UK and Cancer Research UK and has an ultimate fundraising target of £100,000.
In a show of solidarity with those taking part, 606 employees from DS Smith’s 30 UK sites also participated in their own step-athon challenge, taking 54,474,543 steps in total, the equivalent to 25,793 miles, during the course of the event.
Leah Mitchell, local fundraising manager at Cancer Research UK, added: “We’re delighted that DS Smith has supported us and would like to thank everyone who took part.
“We receive no government funding for our ground-breaking research, so money raised by supporters, like DS Smith, is crucial to help us beat cancer sooner.”
Heart Research UK’s corporate fundraiser, Jodie Thomson, said: “This was a fantastic challenge by the team, and a real endurance test.”
To donate to the cause visit DS Smith’s JustGiving page: www. justgiving.com/company/dssmith