Tough Guy Challenge for Charity
After several months of training, Ben Walker (24) finally got the chance to take part in the UKs
toughest assault course in Wolverhampton. The famous Tough Guy event, billed as “The world’s safest most dangerous test of physical and mental endurance” is an annual winter event attended by thousands of willing hopefuls.
The courses obstacles include climbing vertigo inducing fortresses with electric wires, running over fire lit hay stacks, swimming through under water tunnels in the -0 degree waters, scrambling face down in the mud under 40 feet of sharp steel barbed wire and then to the claustrophobic Vietcong tunnels (these are a selection of extra long underground tunnels that end either in stinging nettles or come to a dead end) and all this in Sundays’ icy minus eight wind chill.
Ben took part in the event to raise funds and awareness for the British Red Cross. This decision was made after being one of many mountain climbers / runners caught in the Lake District floods last year when the British Red Cross had to come to their aid. Ben recalls “I was amazed at the support that the British Red Cross gave to the many stranded runners in the Lake District and wanted to find someway to pay back their kindness. The volunteers of the British Red Cross are the true Tough Guy’s and are always on hand to push themselves to the limit to help us all when we are in desperate need of care.”
Ben completed the tough guy challenge in just over two hours on Sunday 1st February and was also supported by outdoor clothing specialists Trekmates by wearing their kindly donated kit.
“The kit supplied by Trekmates was perfect for the cold temperatures I had to endure during the challenge. The merino wool long sleeve top worked really well to keep away the biting wind which managed to keep me going till the end. Many competitors failed to prepare properly for the challenge and there were many cases of hypothermia, so I was glad to be wearing the right clothing for the event.”
Ben was also supported by the National Blood Service as Ben is a blood donor.
Kinamba Community Project
In June 2009 Ben Honisett solo hiked across the Pyrenees mountains in the South of France, from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean coast, following a route of approximately 900 km through harsh terrain, taking somewhere between 45 and 55 days.
Ben did this in aid of the Kinamba Community Project (Registered UK Charity No.1126601), a small but very worthwhile cause, helping mainly women and children who have been torn apart by civil war in Rwanda.
http://www.kinambaproject.org.uk/
Ben planned to only camp wild or bivvy down where possible and Trekmates were happy to provide him with some products that would make is expedition a little more comfortable.
Ben produced an online page for the charity plotting the route and including a diary as well as a special thanks and sponsorship page with the companies that sponsored him, you can view this at http://www.kinambaproject.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=4
