Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Crunch time in quest to find Britain’s fittest farmer
AGRICULTURAL athletes from the South West will be among those battling out this weekend to be named Britain’s Fittest Farmer.
The winners will be crowned at the final of the hit competition, organised by agricultural magazine Farmers Weekly, on Saturday, with 10 men and 10 women hailing from all corners of the UK left in the running.
They now face the ultimate test of speed, strength and stamina for their chance to win a £1,000 cash prize and the Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2020 title.
In one last push, the 20 finalists will compete at an adrenaline-fuelled event co-hosted by Farm Fitness founder Tom Kemp and held at his family farm in Essex.
Oli Hill, community editor for Farmers Weekly, explained: “This competition was designed to be a fun, upbeat way of getting the nation’s farmers to be more proactive about their health – mental and physical.
“It seeks to support farmers in their amazing work to put food on our plates and care for our countryside, by helping them to ensure they are fit to do one of the toughest jobs.”
Representing the South West in this weekend’s final will be:
Young farmer James Arney, 25, from Frome in Somerset;
Beef farmer Fiona Penfold, 39, from Whitchurch in Somerset;
Mixed farmer Henry Corp, 22, from Chippenham in Wiltshire;
Sheep shearer Isaac Francis, 24, from Okehampton in Devon;
Young farmer Hannah Walters, 24, from Kingston near Modury in Devon.
Having firstly completed an online application, then a gruelling qualifier event in Wiltshire consisting of four > Isaac Francis at the qualifier tough physical challenges aimed at putting their general fitness to the test, and an interview with the judges focusing on mental health, one man and one woman will lift the trophies this weekend.
Mr Hill added: “Our finalists are all deeply impressive individuals and I’m really looking forward to seeing them run, jump, lift and squat their way to victory.”
Britain’s Fittest Farmer was launched by Farmers Weekly as a fun way of sparking a vital discussion about the physical and mental health of the nation’s farmers. As farming becomes less active and increasingly more mechanised and office-based, those behind the competition say it’s more important than ever before to make sure Britain’s farmers are getting the exercise they need to stay healthy.
Poor mental health is a top concern for the farming industry, with research by the Farm Safety Foundation charity revealing that 81 per cent of farmers under the age of 40 believe mental health is the biggest hidden problem they face.