Stef’s Sporting Activities

I thought on this spring-like Friday I would share with you how I like to keep fit. Hopefully this will spark your interest and then you can understand why I enjoy my chosen sporting activities.

As you may have gathered I rather like a bike and all that goes with it. Although, this hasn’t always been the case. A few years back I decided to sign myself up for an open challenge cycling across Central America. This prospect both frightened and excited me! I hadn’t ridden since I was a nipper so decided to get my bike out of the shed, dust it down and take it for an outing. Winter had set in so rather than brave the cold for training, I scoured the internet for other ways to train without my hands and feet freezing. Then I came across spinning (cycling indoors on a static bike). I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea but from the moment I started I have committed to it and reaped the benefits. This is mainly down to the studio I use and the instructors. The Pedal Studio, Putney not only offers great bikes and very knowledgeable instructors but this is all done within a relaxed and sociable environment. It’s going from strength to strength and it’s good value for money. It differs slightly from your usual gym spinning class as the music is not so loud and there’s not a flashing disco light in sight!  Spinning has been great for core strength, endurance and interval training purposes. We also work with a heart rate monitor so you can see how hard (or not so hard) you are working.

For those interested, I successfully completed my overseas cycling challenge and both laughed and cried at the undulations!

My second newly discovered hobby is bouldering (a form of climbing on a low level wall without ropes). A brand new indoor bouldering centre recently opened in Parsons Green called Urban Ascent and this is where I ventured for my first experience. Admittedly, I was a little anxious as I have little upper body strength so wasn’t quite sure how I was going to scale a wall. As it turned out, I took to it well and couldn’t get over the strength I felt in my arms just after my first session. The staff were incredibly helpful and approachable and for that very reason I am signing up!

Everyone has their ways of keeping fit and mine are geared towards building strength in my legs and upper body. I do enjoy the odd run but if you can find something you enjoy then you’re more likely to stick with it.

Happy training!

What is an Open Challenge?

What is an Open Challenge?

Unsure of what an Open Challenge means? Well, you’re not alone! An Open Challenge is a great opportunity for an individual or group of friends to take part in a Challenge whilst raising  funds for a Charity of their choice. Most people sign up as an individual and so our Challenges are filled with people of different ages, backgrounds, interests and supporting a mixture of Charities.  But you will all have one common interest…..to achieve your Challenge of a lifetime for a worthy cause.

Next steps:

• Choose an Open Challenge
• Choose a Charity of your choice and inform them of your exciting Challenge and that you’d like to raise funds for them.
• Choose your payment option:

-          Fundraising :  Pay a registration fee of £295 (dependant on Challenge) directly to us. Then pledge to raise the sponsorship target which will need to be with your chosen Charity by the date agreed when you sign up with them. The cost of airport taxes are paid by the participant so we will invoice you directly for this. In this option the Charity pay your expedition costs.

-          Payment and Fundraising :  Pay a registration fee of £295 (dependant on Challenge) directly to us. Then pay for the costs of the expedition yourself directly to The Ultimate Travel Company. We will invoice you approx.8 weeks before the trip departs with the final tour costs plus airport taxes. You can then simply choose a charity to support and endeavour to raise as much sponsorship as possible.

• Complete and return your application and medical form and return to: Ultimate Challenges  

Take a closer look at our Open Challenges……there’s a Challenge waiting for you! 

  ***2013 DATES JUST RELEASED!!***

Bike Affection

As promised, here’s a little insight into the purchase of my new bike…

Last time I wrote, there was a lot of deliberating about road, mountain, cyclo cross and whether to go for old or new. Well, I decided upon road and new. So I busied my evenings with scouring the internet to see what was on offer…..I finally stumbled across the Felt Z95 2012 from Evans Cycles. The test ride alone sealed the bike’s fate and it was to be mine!

I decided to take Evans up on their Ride2Work scheme which I thoroughly recommend for anyone commuting to work and finds paying out the full cost of a new bike rather daunting. Your company buys the bike initially and you repay them on a monthly basis through your salary. What could be simpler?!

I never thought a bike could bring me so much pleasure but this Felt has succeeded. Here you can see for yourself, my new and very exciting addition:

If you have any thoughts or bicycle stories then we’d like to hear them.

Happy Friday!

Fundraising for Challenge Events

We know that signing up for an overseas challenge and committing to raise several thousand pounds can be a daunting prospect. With sponsorship targets that are often between £3000 and £4000, it’s difficult to know where to start.  We have compiled a few helpful hints below which we hope will set you on your way.

1. Break your sponsorship target up into small manageable amounts. Don’t expect to raise £3000 from one event, or one request. Instead aim to raise a certain amount each month in the lead up to your event.
2. Set up an online fundraising page. You can do this through Justgiving or Virgin Money Giving. Many charities now have their own fundraising sites incorporated in their website so do check with them before you set up a site.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask. The worst someone can do is say no. Send your online fundraising page to as many people as you can. Ask your friends to send it on to their friends. Are you organising a party? Ask your local shops and businesses to donate items that you can then raffle or auction. Can you get the company you work for to help?
4. Give something back in return. We’ve found that people are usually more willing to part with their money if they can get something back in return. Can you do a bake sale, or organise an event with a raffle or auction?
5. Use your skills. Think about what you’re good at? Can you raise money by using your own skills?  My favourite example of this was a professional photographer who took part in one of our Kili trips. He decided that he would take a photo every degree from the summit – so 360 photos. He then sold as many of these photos off for £100 each before he went on the trip, with people picking the degree that they wanted. He only needed to sell 36 to hit his fundraising target. We might not all have such a saleable skill but most people have something that they could do, whether it’s baking cakes or making greetings cards.
6. Tell everyone what you’re doing and why you’re doing it – including your local newspaper, radio station etc. Set up a blog or twitter account and keep people updated on your training and fundraising progress.
7. Recruit people to help you. This will greatly increase your fundraising network. Can your friends and family ask their friends to support you?  If you’re organising an event can you get 5 of your friends to sell 10 tickets to their friends? Do you have friends with skills that could be auctioned off at an event?
8. Use a variety of methods. Don’t expect to hit your fundraising target simply by sending your online fundraising page to all your contacts. Explore a range of different ways to raise your sponsorship – your chosen charity will be able to help with ideas and fundraising materials.
9. Don’t forget to say a big THANK YOU. When someone does donate towards your sponsorship please remember to say thank you. Send everyone who helped you reach your sponsorship target a letter or email to let them know all about your adventure.

Unfortunately there are no quick fixes to hitting your sponsorship target – it does take time and dedication. Don’t forget that your chosen charity will be able to provide a huge amount of support to help you raise your sponsorship target.

Good Luck!