Guernsey ‘team’ following Darwin’s voyage without leaving the island
GUERNSEY fitness enthusiasts are uniting for a scenic ‘Around The World’ journey stretching 65,000km – within the confines of local lockdown.
Island Games triathlete and Strive coach Amy Critchlow has challenged members of her Facebook group, Stay Calm and Keep Striving, to contribute stats from their daily runs, rides, swims, walks and other activities towards a team initiative.
Each contribution moves a virtual tracker that is set to follow the path of Charles Darwin’s historic voyage around the world aboard HMS Beagle.
Can they go around the world in 80 days, as with a certain Jules Verne novel, or less? Critchlow feels such a fast finish looks increasingly possible.
‘Hopefully the novelty won’t wear off and people will carry on,’ she said just over a week into the challenge as daily contributions soar above 1,000km.
‘It’s getting quite competitive – quite nice having people like James Travers and Matt Osborn doing it, otherwise we would be here all year.’
But the entry is approaching triple figures and Critchlow welcomes people of all abilities to join and contribute.
Critchlow said her plan was to build on challenges she had set during the first lockdown in running, cycling and swimming, where an Oceans Seven challenge based on the exploits of ‘Sea Donkey’ Adrian Sarchet took centre stage.
‘People really enjoy the concept of a team challenge and doing something as a collective. It just provides a bit of motivation and a bit more purpose to getting out and staying active.
‘I thought about doing a few different challenges, but we do not know how long lockdown is going to last.
‘We’ve just pooled together as many people as we can to do an around the world challenge. It’s quite nice travelling in lockdown, it captures people’s imaginations a little bit.’
Critchlow is also sharing images of locations the tracker passes, such as Brazil’s tropical coast after week one.
About the Darwin theme? Critchlow added that the challenge was about appreciating the environment, much like the famous naturalist, rather than racing about.
But the exploration and summery images provide a break from rainy and cold lockdown in Guernsey.
