Leigh’s totally up for the mother of all challenges
A SCOTS mother of three is teaming up with telly star Alex Jones for a special set of Sport Relief challenges.
Leigh McLean is one of four mums from across the UK who have been picked for a programme of extreme fundraising events that will include wild swimming, cycling and running at locations throughout Britain.
Leigh, 44, who lives near Glasgow, will join One Show presenter Alex’s Mother of All Challenges.
Aptly, it will kick off on Mother’s Day and continue right through to Sport Relief Day the next Friday, March 16.
The four women’s adventures will be shown nightly on The One Show all that week.
Leigh said: “I think I’ve gone through every emotion possible.
“I started at the ‘totally bricking it’ stage and have now settled down to ‘quietly apprehensive but excited’.
“Being part of a team of mums and knowing that we will be raising money for Sport Relief to support incredible causes makes a massive difference.
“I’m not sure I would be able to do this on my own. Having the girls and Alex with me means we can support each other.”
Alex added: “Leigh’s been saying she’s always watched the Sport Relief challenges and now she can’t believe she’s doing one herself.
“It’s been great to talk to her about how she wants this challenge to help mums across the county talk more about their maternal health and create one big support group.”
Helping the mums on their way will be former Olympian, world-renowned sports scientist and physical activity expert Professor Greg Whyte OBE.
On day one, the team will swim a section of Loch Lomond, before hiking up the narrow ridge Helvellyn via Swirral Edge in the Lake District.
That’s followed by a cycle up three Lake District passes, an underground caving adventure at Porth Yr Ogof cave in the Brecon Beacons and a coastal relay run across the Welsh coastline before finishing in Swansea.
Leigh, who works for a construction company, lives in Bearsden with her husband Colin and her three children.
The other mums taking part in the challenge are trainee doctor Amal Hassan, 31, from Wimbledon, London, support worker Debbie Williams, 50, of Bristol, and charity worker Jodi Dowse, 28, also from Bristol. ● You can back Leigh and the others at www.sportrelief.com/mums
Being part of a team makes a massive difference