Melton Hiker Ben Richardson joins Everyone Active's 9-Edges XL Challenge for Breast Cancer Now
“Getting outside in nature helps me disconnect from life and get a few hours for myself"
Keen hiker, Ben Richardson, 22, from Melton will be joining the Everyone Active East Region 9-Edges XL Challenge on 7 May.
The team are hoping to raise £7,500 for Breast Cancer Now as they take on the iconic 50km Peak District route, extended to include Chatsworth Park and Beeley Moor.
Ben, a duty manager at Waterfield Leisure Centre, which is managed by the award-winning operator, Everyone Active, in partnership with Melton Borough Council, has been motivated to take part after losing family members to cancer.
Growing up hiking and doing outdoor endurance sports, he is no stranger to fundraising challenges after he and a friend completed the 48 hour Goggins endurance challenge for Leicester Children's Hospital Charity last year. The latest challenge for Everyone Active’s partner charity, Breast Cancer Now, will see him hiking with colleagues across the Peak’s famous gritstone edges.
Ben has been maintaining his regular fitness plan in preparation, with a focus on moving efficiently on a gradient for longer periods. He’s been training in the gym at Waterfield Leisure Centre around his shifts, as well as visiting the Peak District regularly for day hikes.
“Getting outside in nature helps me disconnect from life and get a few hours for myself,” he says. “I think mental resilience will be a key factor in the 9-Edges XL Challenge. The long training hikes are helping me learn how to deal with self doubt when starting to hit the wall. It could well be hot and humid in May, so I have been practising what I will carry to ensure I am able to eat and drink enough.”
You can support Ben and the team at: https://justgiving.com/page/everyone-active-9-edges-xl-challenge