Head’s Ukraine ultra challenge
THE head teacher of Alderney’s St Anne’s School is planning to take on an ultra-challenge in which he will run, cycle and swim as far as possible in 14 hours and 39 minutes to raise funds for charity.
Martin Winward is aiming to raise at least £1,439 for Ukrainian Refugee Crisis in Siret, Romania – 1,439 miles being the distance between the island and the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
‘We want the children in Alderney to be able to recognise this is not far from their home and island,’ he said on his fundraising page.
Teacher Joanne Allison has been in touch with the School For Life charity organisation in Romania, which was a school at which she worked some years ago.
This organisation is supporting families escaping the war and conflict over the border in Ukraine.
Pupils have already raised £355 by paying £1 to dress in Ukraine colours for a day and holding a cake sale.
Mr Winward runs and cycles every week and has completed three marathons in the last two years. He intends to start the event at midnight and finish 14 hours and 39 minutes later.
He plans to start off with a marathon run, followed by cycling and then swimming at high tide.
The run itself is split into four sections, he said – the ‘residential’, a six-mile run to each member of the staff team at St Anne’s, then a circular route around Alderney followed by the coastal path which he plans to run with Stanley, the school’s therapy dog, and conclude with ‘lockdown revisited’ by running around the school house garden.
He ran 116 miles during his days of isolation in the last lockdown and raised £1,835 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
‘The cycle will be my easiest,’ he said. ‘The swim will be as much distance as I can muster. Hopefully, I will get two swims in during the 14 hours and 39 minutes.’
The event runs from midnight on Friday 29 April to 2.39pm on Saturday 30th.
. To donate via JustGiving https://bit.ly/3qHhBQE.
