Firefighter duo get kitted out for charity challenge in aid of hospice
IT WOULD be a challenge in itself to trek along the length of one of England’s most picturesque countryside routes.
But Shaun Challis and Lee Smith will be making the task of walking the 100-mile South Downs Way even harder as they will be wearing full kit and breathing apparatus while completing the charity challenge.
The two firefighters, who are both based at Shoreham fire station in West Sussex, set off from Winchester in Hampshire yesterday for the trek, which is expected to take them four days.
Along the route, the pair from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, who are raising money for Martlets Hospice and The
We were looking for something a bit different to do. Firefighter Shaun Challis, who is walking the South Downs Way with colleague Lee Smith.
Fire Fighters Charity, will be bedding down at Arundel and Shoreham fire stations.
Mr Challis said: “We were looking for something a bit different to do – these days just running a marathon doesn’t really cut it when you’re trying to fundraise.
“So we thought we would step it up a bit and attempt the whole South Downs Way while wearing full fire kit and breathing apparatus, which is about twoand-a-half-stones worth of equipment.”
He revealed they chose the Martlets Hospice because it had helped to care for a friend who died from cancer.
He said: “For me, I lost a really good friend to cancer. He was only 38 and it was all very sudden and took everyone by surprise,
“But in such a horrible situation Martlets offered so much support to everyone and I just wanted to say thank you for that.”
More information on the charity trek is at http://ow.ly/ ogE050xBej5.