INTREPID fundraisers raised more than £4,400 by scaling Ben Nevis in aid of Warwickshire children’s charity Molly Ollys.
Organiser Alex Myers, from Stratford, lead the group, which included Rob Horsfall from Welford, as they tackled the gruelling 4,400ft climb.
It marked a return to the UK’s highest peak for Alex who works as a personal trainer and runs The Better Man project which offers emotional and physical support for men seeking to make improvements to their life.
The 38-year-old said: “To have 60 people on the day who were willing to travel all the way to Fort William and push themselves for Molly Ollys was just incredible. There was a real mix of abilities and there were plenty of nerves and self doubt for a lot of people before the climb. But everyone was incredible and the final people had returned back within 11 hours.
“Some of the crew had to dig really deep to conquer the mountain, which was covered in snow at the top, but the challenge and aches and pains that come with it made it all that more rewarding. It was quite emotional actually watching people push through the pain.
“But we did it and supported each other every step of the way, making sure everyone got off the mountain safely.”
Despite growing up in Scotland, the 8.5-mile challenge of scaling Ben Nevis was a first for experienced climber Rob Horsfall.
The 45 year-old, who took a picture of himself at the summit his six year-old daughter Josphine had drawn for him, said: “I loved every minute of it! The weather was amazing and so were the other people climbing it with us. It felt really good raising money for such a worthwhile cause. Alex and I had visited Birmingham Children’s Hospital a few days before which made the climb very poignant.”
Warwick-based Molly Ollys was established following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer and marked its tenth anniversary last year.
The charity supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. It helps with emotional support and donates wishes, therapeutic toys and books to children directly and through hospitals across the UK.
Since Molly Ollys started more than £3 million has been raised to emotionally support children across the UK. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at www.mollyolly.co.uk/learn-about-donating/
