Rob and Owen's Ultimate Challenge

In June 2019, Lee took his own life to suicide from suffering with mental health.

Suicide is often misunderstood, seen as a ‘selfish’ way out but it is far from this.

Mental health is an illness, and sadly in many cases, suicide is the final symptom.

In 2019, a total of 5,691 people took their own lives. This equals around 18 people each day, just in England, taken their own lives.

While Mental Health and awareness around it are such big areas today, helping more people understand is hard. Many people suffer behind closed doors, believing they are completely alone.

So, Rob and Owen, together, are looking to raise more awareness for this and work with two great charities that support the above by doing something rather extreme.

On the 15th October 2023 we are planning to run/ruck from London to Birmingham along the Grand Union Canal wearing weighted vests and ankle weights on each leg. This will take us 6 days moving for 7-8 hours per day and covering a total of 225km (140 miles), the equivalent of around 5.5 marathons!!

The day after we arrive in Birmingham, we will be competing in the first Hyrox race of the 2023/24 season. Firstly, we will compete in the doubles event and later in the day we will compete individually in the open class.

We are supporting two good causes, one of them is MATES. MATES is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company created to be a hands on support group in the community for people struggling with their mental health and to help improve people’s positive mental health before it is too late.

MATES is run by volunteers who are there in person and online to help people when they are at their lowest. MATES work closely with CALM, Campaign Against Living Miserably, who are the UK’s biggest suicide prevention Charity to Stand Together, United Against Suicide, as well as many other nationwide groups and charities to ensure they are using every bit of knowledge, research and all the skills and contacts available to help our loved ones in our own community.

Macmillian are an amazing charity close to a lot of people’s hearts, they are involved with Hyrox, and support people who have been affected by cancer, whether that be themselves, a family member or friend – they are there to listen, offer guidance and resources to overcome whatever needs they have.

To finish, in-doing this, we are hoping to raise a significant amount of money for these two brilliant causes which mean a great deal to us, whilst promoting the benefits fitness can have on everybody’s health and mental wellbeing, whether that be taking part, watching and volunteering.

Our target is £10,000 and all donations will be gratefully received and split between the two charities.

Follow us on our journey leading up to the event, the training in place and regular updates on both MATES and Macmillian and people you will be supporting.

Let the training commence!