Three Peaks Triumph

13/04/2010

A fantastic achievement! (L-R) Tom Faro, Jonty Revell and Joe Ward.

Three Central Sussex College students who completed the notorious Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Chailey Heritage School, have raised over ten thousand pounds for the charitable foundation so far!

Sports enthusiasts, Joe Ward, Jonty Revell and Tom Faro, who are all eighteen years old and from Haywards Heath, were inspired to take on the challenge after having seen first-hand some of the challenges faced by special schools, whilst volunteering at Court Meadow School in Cuckfield.

Having completed the challenge in August 2009, and with money still being collected, the intrepid trio were recently able to present the ten thousand pound cheque to Chailey Heritage School, with School President Verena Hanbury saying "The huge amount of work you put in to complete this task on our behalf was just fantastic." Local Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, who was also at the presentation, described the three student's achievements as "an example to us all."

The memory of the eventful twenty-four hours of the challenge is also still fresh in their minds, as the achievement was by no means straight-forward! After a shaky start, which saw them climb the first of the Three Peaks, Ben Nevis, hampered by strong winds, things took a turn for the worse when their MPV broke down on the way to the second Peak, Scafell Pike, in the Lake District. After an anxious wait for roadside recovery, they eventually started their ascent at 1am, battling the heavy rain in pitch-darkness, which resulted in them getting lost, and losing more time.

At this stage, it looked unlikely that they could successfully complete the challenge within the stipulated twenty-four hour time period, but thankfully, when they reached Mount Snowdon, the sun was out, which helped them achieve a final push, finishing the challenge in an impressive twenty-two hours, forty-seven minutes and four seconds!

Speaking about their experiences, Tom, who is currently studying A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Economics at the College's Sixth Form Haywards Heath campus said "You can prepare for the physical side of the challenge, but nothing can prepare you for the sleep deprivation, which is just awful." Jonty, who studies English Literature, English Language, Physics and Sociology at the College, added "The Three Peaks Experience was probably one of the most painful experiences of my life! I was physically exhausted to the point where I couldn't move! However, the sense of achievement I gained from completing it, and the fulfilment we got when we presented Chailey Heritage School with the cheque, definitely made it worth while!"

Although the majority of the ten-thousand-pound total was raised through generous sponsorship pledges on completion of the challenge, a range of other activities also took place to boost the total, including a regular presence at Sainsbury's and The Orchards shopping centre, plus a piano concert, organised by and featuring Joe Ward. The Just Giving profile page for the challenge remains active, and if you would like to make a donation to the cause in retrospect, or read a personal account of their experiences, please visit www.justgiving.co.uk/3students3peaks