Carl and Mim’s towering ambition
SKEM Men-Aces manager Carl Eaton has set himself another tough challenge to help the club.
Wheelchair user Carl, 55, and wife Mim, 53, will abseil down the 560ft spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour to raise funds for the club.
The event is due to take place on July 8 at 2pm.
The Skem Men-Aces football club, based in Skelmersdale, was founded by Carl, for adults with learning disabilities.
The team of more than 50 people formed in 2009 and have won many awards, including the Queen’s Award for Volunteer Services, for which they were invited to attend the Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace.
Carl and Mim are hop- ing to raise £4,000 by completing this challenge – with more than £500 being donated so far.
Completing the task is going to be even more difficult for Carl, who was born with spina bifida, and is confined to a wheelchair.
He said: “From my point of view as a wheelchair user, it is going to take every effort.”
But yet another obstacle for Carl to overcome is that he is scared of heights.
He joked: “It is going to be 560ft up. I’m terrified of heights, if I stand on my wallet, I get a nose bleed but my wife, Mim, is fearless – so we’re a good match.”
Mim confirmed that it was going to be a great challenge for her husband.
She said: “We went to Corfu before we got married, we were on the second floor and he wouldn’t go on the balcony. He was having cold sweats.
“This is going to be a massive, massive deal, and we’re doing it for the Men-Aces. It’s a big club to feed and we’ve got a lot of things happening this year.”
The money will be used to fund the running of the club, and to finance games and events for the Skem Men Aces – some of which are in other countries,
The latest challenge comes after the couple raised more than £10,500 for the team by completing the Manchester Marathon last year, which Carl said was the “hardest thing” he has done in his entire life.
But, he predicted that he may find the upcoming abseil even more difficult.
He added: “The support that you gave us last year for the marathon was absolutely phenomenal, it was incredible.
“I’m asking for you to give us the save support again, you have never let us down.
“This club is passionate about Skem, and Skem is passionate about the club.”
To find out more, or make a donation, visit the Gofundme page at www. gofundme.com/acesover-the-edge.