Some say the Dragons Back Race is the "toughest footrace on earth".  Wales is going to throw mountain after mountain at me to run/hike/scramble (crawl on a bad day) from Conwy by the North Coast to Cardiff on the South Coast.    Come rain or shine, what awaits me is 380km (236 miles), 17,000 metres of ascent (about twice the height of the Everest summit), 6 days, 16 hours a day, no showers, camping…….. so I need some motivation to reach the end, especially given that participant finishing rate is only about 50% !!

I grew up hiking in the Lake District which is home to the Calvert Trust, a charity dedicated to offering a wonderful range of outdoor activities to disabled children and adults.  The Trust’s belief that “it’s what you can do that counts” is one that resonates with me and I’ll be repeating this to myself as my Welsh challenge continues!  I recognise how fortunate I am to be able to take to the outdoors but also how it’s shaped me as an individual.  If I can help just one other person to step into the outdoors and gain the rewards and appreciation that I have from its environment then the whole endeavour will be worthwhile. 

The Calvert Trust receives no Government funding and needs to raise £1.5m per year to keep the centre and its fantastic activities going.  The pandemic placed the centre at risk of closing permanently until a 13 year old child who relied on the centre saved it from closure by raising about £250k.  I aim to raise whatever I can and help to keep bringing joy and unforgettable experiences to everyone who visits this wonderful centre.

Follow my progress at this tracking link, I’m runner 259! 

https://live.opentracking.co.uk/dragonsbackrace2021