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Yesterday, Alex Jones and her team of inspirational mums faced their toughest test so far on the Mother of All Challenges for Sport Relief. Their endurance was pushed to the max as they relay cycled three of the Lake District’s toughest passes, the Kirkstone Pass, Hornister Pass and Newslands Pass, with a total ascent of 7,000ft. Bodies already aching from the previous day’s efforts, the physical effects of the challenge began to show as the mums suffered tumbles and tears on the mammoth cycling route.
Speaking ahead of the cycle, Alex said:
“Out of all the challenges this is the one I’m particularly nervous about – cycling is not my forte! The mums and I are beginning to feel the effects of the previous days – our muscles are aching and our energy levels are dwindling so we’re really going to have to push ourselves. We’re up against one of the steepest routes in the UK , but we have some brilliant people riding with us and all the mums are keeping each other motivated, so we’re going to give it our best shot.”
World-renowned sports scientist and physical activity expert, Professor Greg Whyte OBE added:
“I think today is going to be the most physically demanding. The mums have accumulated fatigue from the Loch Ness swim, climbing on Helvellyn and we’re now in the Lakes which is a brutal place for cycling. We’ll be tackling three of the toughest routes today with over 7,000 ft. of climbing. This is formidable cycling for a seasoned pro, and these mums have been on their bikes for less than two months so it’s going to be a tough day physically, mentally and emotionally.”
To find out how the mums got on, and to watch the cycle in action, tune in to The One Show tonight (14th March) at 7pm on BBC One.
The four mums are:
• Amal Hassan, 31, a mum of one from London. Amal is a trained doctor specialising in Sports Medicine.
• Debbie Williams, 50, a mum of four from Bristol. Debbie is a support worker for adults with learning difficulties.
• Jodi Dowse, 28, a mum of two from Bristol. Jodi works at BlueBell, a charity providing emotional wellbeing services to families during pregnancy and after birth.
• Leigh McLean, 44, a mum of three from Glasgow. Leigh works for a construction company.
Our intrepid team of mums want the public to support their efforts with donations to help vulnerable people in the UK and across the world live happier, healthier and safer lives as well as raise awareness of maternal health issues. Maternal health is one of the causes funded by Sport Relief money and something close to the group’s hearts as each of the four mums have experienced their own maternal health issues.
You can sponsor the team at SportRelief.com/mums.
What does the Mother of All Challenges have in store?
• Starting at Loch Ness on Sunday 11th March – Mother’s Day – the team braved the freezing cold as they swam a section of Scotland’s most famous loch.
• On day two (12th March) the team laced up their hiking boots to conquer the Helvellyn range in the Lake District.
• On Tuesday 13th March, the team tested their endurance; cycling up three of the Lake District’s toughest passes: the Kirkstone Pass, Hornister Pass and Newslands Pass.
• Our mums will next travel to Alex’s home country of Wales. On 15th March, they will head deep underground, crawl their way through tight passages and a maze of dark caverns to make it out of Porth Yr Ogof cave in the Brecon Beacons.
• Friday 16th March will culminate in a marathon finish. Our fearless mums will tackle a relay coastal run across the hilly Welsh coast. The test will finally end with a triumphant crossing over the finish line in Swansea.
For the first time ever Sport Relief 2018 is asking the entire nation to take on a huge collective challenge – beating a billion steps a day, every day, from 17th-23rd March. For more information on how to get involved with this year’s Sport Relief campaign, download the Sport Relief App or go to sportrelief.com.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Comic Relief Media Team
020 7820 2432 / media@comicrelief.com
For image enquiries contact:
Lucille Flood
0795899168 / l.flood@comicrelief.com
Photography team
Photography@comicrelief.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Sport Relief brings the nation together to get active, raise money and change lives. Since 2002, Sport Relief has raised over £335 million. The money raised by the public will be spent by Comic Relief to tackle the critical issues affecting people across the UK and the world. This year, Sport Relief culminates in a week of activity from Saturday 17th to Friday 23rd March, leading to an unmissable night of TV on the BBC.
Comic Relief is a UK charity which aims to create a just world, free from poverty - where everyone is safe, healthy, educated and empowered. Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1 billion. That money has helped, and is helping, people both at home in the UK and across the world. For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com
Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)
