Ashleigh, Shaun and Matt take on Trekfest

In June 2013 Ashleigh took part in the Trekfest Brecon Beacon challenge alongside team mates Shaun and Matt. They trekked a massive 27 miles and together raised enough to fund Giggle Doctor visits for 176 children! She said it was an amazing and unforgetable experience that really tested their fitness and determination.

Why did you decide to take part in Trekfest Ashleigh?

I really wanted to take part in a challenge to raise money for the Theodora Children’s Charity but I was put off by the cycling and running challenges as I am not the fittest of the bunch and I didn’t think I would be strong enough to complete them. I knew it would take a lot of training to get my fitness up but I felt that walking/trekking would be the most suitable challenge for my current level of fitness. I liked the fact that Trekfest offered the two distances; if you don’t feel that you can do the 54 miles you can still take part in the 27 miles.

Had you ever done anything like this before?

No and I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would sign up to something like this! The most walking I have done was during a shopping spree in New York and it doesn’t compare.

How much training did you do before the weekend?

I tried to get at least two – three days of training in the gym each week on the treadmill as well as outside hill training at the weekend. The most miles I managed to complete before the trek was 16.5 miles.

What was the best bit of the whole experience?

The best part of the experience was the amazing views, and of course crossing the finish line as this was a massive achievement for me as well as the other trekkers. It just goes to show that you really can do anything you want to with a bit of determination!   

What was the most challenging element?

The most challenging element was climbing Pen y Fan which is 886m above sea level! My hill training in the lead up to the trek unfortunately didn’t prepare me for this but with the help of my fantastic team I made it to the top. All the trekkers really pulled together to support one another which was lovely; even if you want to enter as an individual rather than a team you won’t be alone.  

How did you raise your sponsorship?

We mostly raised our sponsorship by sending our sponsorship link around at work and on Facebook. Every time we completed some training I posted an update or a picture along with our link. We also arranged a cake bake day at work to raise extra funds which proved to be very successful.

Would you take part in something like this again?

I would definitely take part in something like this again; it was an unforgettable experience that really tested my fitness and determination. The most important factor is that we received an overwhelming amount of support from everyone and managed to exceed our expectations with the amount of money that we raised for this amazing charity!!

If you think you would like to take on Trekfest in 2014 please click here.