Bangor man tackles Seven Summits challenge in aid of suicide prevention charity
A Bangor leisure manager has completed his biggest charity challenge yet, raising funds for a charity that uses sport as a route to improved mental wellbeing.
Chris Kelly, Contract Manager for the Northern Community Leisure Trust, which operates three facilities in the region, has previously undertaken a range of fundraising efforts over the years, but the latest one was his most ambitious yet.
Using the SkiErg machine at Bangor Aurora Aquatics & Leisure Complex, Chris ‘climbed’ the height of the seven highest mountains in the world – the Seven Summits - which equates to a distance of over 40.656 kilometres.
Chris chose mental health charity S.P.O.R.T.S. (Suicide Prevention Offering Recovery Through Sport), as the beneficiary of his fundraising efforts. It’s a charity that supports people experiencing mental health challenges using the power of sport and physical activity.
Speaking about his latest challenge, Chris said:
“I'm proud to be raising money for S.P.O.R.T.S., an organisation that uses sport to support people with their mental health. It's a fantastic cause and one I'm delighted to support.
“The SkiErg is one of those machines that impacts your whole body, and has become a lot more popular due to increase in popularity of Hyrox workout classes. The most I had done prior to the Seven Summits was around 20km. To do 40.6km was as much of a mental challenge as a physical one, and was one of the key reasons I chose this particular, mental health-focused charity to support. As a 57-year-old man, I am well aware of how staying active is just as important for your mental wellbeing as it is for your physical health.
“The last hour of the challenge was extremely tough, however the support from the staff and members of the public inspired me right through to the end.”
Chris climbed the Seven Summits in 3 Hours 12 minutes and has so far raised over £1,500 for the charity.
For more information about S.P.O.R.T.S, please visit the website: https://sportsmentalhealthni.org/
And to donate to the charity via Chris’ fundraising link, please click here: https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QH0LQH87