Five challenges, five days and £40,000 raised for hospice

A team of estate agents has completed five different challenges in five days, raising £40,000 for a children’s hospice.

The effort was led by Tony Addinall, executive chairman of the Badger Holdings Group, parent company to Townends estate agents, based in and around Surrey. His team of 18 raised the money for Shooting Star CHASE children’s charity, nearly double that of last year’s event.
 
The team battled the elements from day one, with heavy rain and strong winds.

Starting on June 12, with a climb up Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, the team made good time, completing the first event in just over three and half hours. On day two they set off near Salisbury Plain to cycle 50 miles off-road over hills and through puddles. The boggy conditions meant the team were behind schedule, with several falls along the way before reaching the village of Dummer in Hampshire.
 
Day three saw more rain for the 26-mile marathon walk/run along the coastal path of Dorset, and by day four, with the forecasters predicting the weather would deteriorate further by the weekend, Addinall was forced to change plans for the final two days.

He said: “Plans to paddle down the Thames in canoes were cancelled as high winds and rising water levels put restrictions in place beyond our control. Far from giving up, we quickly completed the 25-mile paddle along the Basingstoke canal.”
 
This meant the 75-mile road ride took place on the final day with the new route taking the group past the hospice they were fundraising for. The team were invited to call in to meet some of the children being cared for.

Addinall said: “This was a completely unplanned invite but it was an emotional and heart-warming welcome that spurred us on to complete the last leg of this challenge, reinforcing the very reason we were doing it in the first place.”
 
Friends and family were all there to greet them as the weary bunch arrived in Richmond.

Addinall said: “Every year the challenges have been more difficult, but when I planned this, I knew it would be the toughest one yet. Being the last ‘big’ challenge I will be participating in, I wanted everyone to get behind us and so it had to be epic.

“As a company, Badger Holdings will continue to raise valuable funds for Shooting Star CHASE charity for many years to come.”
 
To see clips from the challenge, visit:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ironmanplus2012