Rhubarb 2017

ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

27

2001 Andrew Hall aka Hill-Hall (F, 1996 – 2001) is making 2017 a year of extreme resolution. ‘I have not shared any news with the OSE since I left School however I have embarked on a series of challenges this year which I would like to write about given they are driven by charitable motivations. My father died of cancer on 30th May 2015. I wanted to do something significant in his memory and whilst doing so raise money for Sobell House Hospice Charity, an Oxford-based palliative care hospice who looked after him so well in his final days and Cancer Research UK, a cancer research and awareness charity in the UK. ‘Having been inactive from a fitness perspective since 2012 when I ran the 27th Marathon Des Sables, a 250km ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert, I wanted to test my limits again and have committed to complete the following challenges: 1. The Isle ofWight Challenge : Many sail around it, thousands have ‘rocked’ at its festivals, and now I plan to run 100km around it on 29/30th April 2017. Expected duration - 15 hours. www.isleofwightchallenge.com 2. The Rat Race Coast to Coast Challenge in September 2017. This is a 168km race starting in Nairn in the north-east and finishes in Ballachulish in the west. It follows a route through the Scottish Highlands, including a stopover in Fort Augustus. Expected duration - 12 hours. www.ratrace.com/coasttocoast 3. ChaseThe Sun , a cycle challenge held on the longest day of the year, starting at sunset and finishing at sunrise riding coast to coast from the Isle of Sheppey in Kent to Burnham on Sea in Somerset. This race is over 300km and by poignant coincidence I will be crossing the finish line on Father’s Day. Expected duration - 17 hours. www.chasethesun.org 4. No alcohol for 12 months . Dryanuary is over and I have now been on the bandwagon for roughly 60 days and counting. So far so good, but now as everyone’s wheels start to fall off and summer approaches, the real test begins! Expected duration - 8760 hours.

sporting and recreational activities for children and adults with special needs. ‘Committing to a goal is often easier said than done, however, there are ways that can be followed in order to make reaching that goal more achievable. The goal may seem hard to achieve as a whole, so that is why it is important to maintain a good balance in life and split your training into smaller, achievable bitesize chunks. The importance of eating well, sleeping well, maintaining your lifestyle and socialising are all key elements towards success. Remember reward - you have to make training enjoyable. It may be running a 5km or an ultra-marathon, taking part in a triathlon or an ironman, perhaps even running the Marathon Des Sables, but you must remind yourself why. Enjoy the experience of training, learn about your body, enjoy meeting and training with others. Get your friends and families involved with your training. Make each training session different so it does not become monotonous. Do it for a cause, ideally something close to you or your family that will add that extra motivation to your efforts.’

O S E N E W S

Andrew Hall

‘The new training regime, abstinence and charitable motivations have been life changing and in only two months I am already noticing the positive impact it is having in all aspects of my life. What started as a personal challenge has evolved into a respectable fundraising campaign. Case and point is to have Sherlock Parties come on board as my first corporate sponsor and I am currently in talks with several other boutique brands about supporting the challenge. I am now trying to take advantage of this momentum and would like to attract further support and awareness of what I am trying to achieve. I have raised £7,362 since the beginning of the year and have set a target of £20,000 which I hope can be far exceeded!’ You can find out more, follow progress, donate or pledge at www.hall2017.com or alternatively contact me directly on email at hall2017resolution@gmail.com 2003 Chris Carey (C, 1998-2003) writes: ‘The day before their marriage last summer, the wife of my good friend Alastair Simmie (C, 1998-2003) was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer known as EHE. It affects the lining of the blood vessels and is currently incurable given the rarity of the cancer and the subsequent lack of funding it attracts. To help raise funding for research, Alastair led our team of seven, including three other