Three Year 12 pupils from Felsted school, Essex, have successfully taken on the 3 Peaks Challenge. Traversing and cresting the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Mount Snowdon in under 24 hours, they raised an astonishing £3,230 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
Ben Hewett, and Essex locals Gus Pattinson, and Tom Steingold, chose to take part in the challenge over their half-term break. The trekking trio trained for months prior to the challenge by completing regular walking sessions coupled with gym workouts to ensure that they would succeed. This preparation saw the boys complete their challenge in 21 hours 45 minutes.
Bishop Stortford local Ben, who is Head of House for Deacons at Felsted school, choose SSAFA as its house charity so he and his peers could give something back to those that had served their country. Ben and Tom wish to pursue a career in the military and wanted to choose something which would challenge them both mentally and physically.
Ben said,
“The reason for choosing SSAFA, and why we wanted to complete the challenge, is that SSAFA is the oldest tri-service charity and not necessarily the most well-known. We wanted to give SSAFA the recognition it deserves”.
Deacons House Master Mr Barny Bury said,
“Everyone at Felsted is extremely proud of what Tom, Ben and Gus have achieved in completing the 3 Peaks Challenge. Not only did they manage all three climbs well within the 24-hour timeframe, but they did also in a safe, professional manner whilst exceeding their fundraising target. They are an inspiration to their peers and younger pupils alike and I hope their actions trigger positive reactions from future Felstedians.”
Donations can still be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/three-peaks-challenge-for-ssafa
