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John & Richard Run Comrades (89km)

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A huge thanks goes out to John Shirley and Richard Leech for raising £1500 towards our work. We need even more incredible people like them to get involved with exciting fundraising challenges; not only do you achieve yourself but you also help provide a platform for thousands of kids to reach their potential and achieve in greater areas of their own life!

John and Richard’s Story:
You are probably asking, “Why are we running 89km on Sunday 3rd of June from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in Comrades the biggest and best ultramarathon of our times?”

– Are we crazy? May be!
– Are we celebrating the queens jubilee? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
– Drinking? Yes, of course!
Back in 2010 Richard and I were enjoying a poolside beer at Jafa’s in Hanoi. As usual, I was harping on about this great running book “The Lore of Running” and mentioned one of the featured legends “Bruce Fordyce”, he won Comrades 9 times, unbelievable! Turns out Richard has met Bruce and has lived in Durban so Richard suddenly said “I’d love to run Comrades”. The beer tasted good and the thought of running comrades 89km in the distant future seemed a romantic possibility so I replied. “Why not? I’ll join you!”…….. Now, today, we are about to take on a challenge that seemed totally unthinkable to us even 6 months ago.

Thanks guys for your hard work and achievement.

North Halifax Schools take on the Gold Challenge

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We have taken the excitement of the Olympics, and we’re running with it…literally!

The Olympics has landed on our doorstep and in order to raise our sporting spirits, The North Halifax Federation of Schools, have taken on the Gold Challenge in order to support United Through Sport.

Children and staff from five of their primary schools (Moorside Primary, Ash Green Primary, St. Malachy’s Catholic Primary, Lee Mount Primary and Bradshaw Primary) and one of their secondary schools (Trinity Academy), will be pushing themselves in this attempt to complete 2012km, all in time for the start of the Olympic Games. In various events planned across the different schools, they are planning to run, walk and cycle in order to cover this distance.

A massive thanks goes out to them and good luck with the Gold Challenge.

If you would like to get involved with the Gold Challenge for your school then email [email protected] with your details and interest. You may even want to support the North Halifax Schools by sponsoring them here.

Gold Challenge Olympic Stadium Event

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Last Sunday saw thousands gather at the Olympic Stadium for a once in a life time opportunity to step onto the athletics track with a lucky few even taking part in a 100m race.

Members of the public were taking part in the Gold Challenge Event – a key test event at the Olympic stadium, whilst raising money for charity, including United Through Sport. The Gold Challenge stadium event was a fantastic celebratory event for partners and Gold Challengers, rewarding them for their fundraising and sporting achievements.

Former rugby internationals Austin Healey and Gareth Thomas took to the track and other celebrities including Katie Price also made an appearence.

Everyone who attended played an important role in helping London 2012 prepare for the Games. This is all part of the preparation for the Greatest Show on Earth!

You still have time to take on the Gold Challenge yourself by registering your details here: http://goo.gl/uo3Lu

Thanks to all that took part and making it a truely fantastic day out.

Robert Laing takes on 10 Olympic Sports

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Ex-Serviceman Robert Laing is taking on the Gold Challenge and has chosen to tackle 10 sports. Over the coming months he will be training and be coached in ten Olympic sports in order to raise as much money as possible for United Through Sport. In a neat twist Robert is looking to compete for his local clubs in the sports he takes on.

Robert has been training committedly and has already joined local volleyball, rowing, fencing, football and table tennis clubs in a bid to complete his challenge. He is planning to take on many more Olympic and Paralympic sports over the coming months and hopes to increase his challenge from 10 to 20 sports if fundraising goes well.

Robert said, “As an ex-serviceman from The Life Guards I have played many sports in my time and done a few charity events, Gold Challenge seemed unique to me though! I have decided to take the challenge for 10 sports with a view to increasing it to 20 depending on sponsors and donations. The clubs that I am training with have been most helpful in allowing me to train with them!”

A massive thanks to Bob for his efforts and if you wanted to support him in his challenge then check out his fundraising page at the following link: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ROBERTLAING

With less than a Year to Go until the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Gold Challenge is the way for the whole country to get involved and join in the excitement of London 2012. The new charity challenge, partnered with Team GB and British Olympic Association, challenges participants to take on Olympic and Paralympic sports to raise money for one of its 125 charity partners.

Challengers sign up for free and choose their challenge or create their own. Challenges include the Olympic Sport Challenge, where participants take on 5 – 30 Olympic & Paralympic sports, the 2012 km Challenge where challengers must cover 2012 km (individually or collectively) in one or more of a group of Olympic & Paralympic sports and the Family Activity Challenge which encourages families to learn Olympic sports together.

If you fancy getting involved then register your details on this page and join our sporty community: http://www.goldchallenge.org/morecharities/unitedthroughsport

Noddy Climbs to Everest Base Camp

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Nadeem ‘Noddy’ Arshad has completed the impressive feat of climbing to Everest Base Camp (over 6000 metres above sea level) to raise over £500 for our project work in South Africa.

Having spent time working with United Through Sport in South Africa in October 2009, Noddy was inspired to trek to Everest Base Camp to raise some valuable cash for the communities he worked with.

Noddy explained, “I worked with United Through Sport South Africa to help develop and improve the lives of children from underprivileged communities in Port Elizabeth. It was a pleasure to see how mine and other volunteers’ help can go towards improving the health and well-being of these young children. I would like to go back one day and help again but in the meantime, I will do all I can to provide further assistance to this amazing organisation.”

On behalf of all the Trustees at United Through Sport South Africa and the children we work with, we would like to extend a big thanks – bigger than Everest even! – for Noddy’s amazing achievement and all the money he raised!

Reading Run Raises Cash

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Many thanks to Katy Weaver who ran the Reading Half Marathon on 29th March in aid of United Through Sport.

Thanks to her efforts the charity received £160 in sponsorship. Thankfully she didn’t require the ambulance that she suggested she might need half-way through the course!

Ironmen Do It Themselves for £1,500

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On 10th December, four adventurers took to the desert of Dubai to take part in one of the most challenging Ironman tournaments in the world.

With a 3.8km swim followed by a 180km bike and then a 42km run, the unofficial ‘DIY Ironman’ is an incredible test of endurance in the unbelievable heat of the UAE.

Many thanks to Pascale, Wouter, Anne and Louise for their incredible effort, which raised nearly £1500 for United Through Sport.

Crazy Marathon Canoeists

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On 2nd July 2006, a group of river-hardened canoeists took to the Thames to paddle 26 miles for United Through Sport. The team took in the picturesque sights of Marlow, Bourne End, Bray and Windsor on their way to the hard-fought finish.

The marathon event raised over £400 for the charity.

Many thanks to the Marlow Canoe Club for all their support.

DJs Play at Play for United Through Sport

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On 25th October 2005, seven house DJs played to a crowd of 200 revellers at Play Bar in Clerkenwell, London. The event raised over £600 for United Through Sport.

The free-entry event was a great success and was aided by the change of the clocks which allowed the late licences to carry on a little later!

Many thanks to Dan Woods and John Atherton who arranged the venue, DJs and concluded the night with a solid back-to-back set!