When my little brother Ed (now in his thirties!) was five years old he went on a school trip to Dorset. He got the opportunity to go climbing but it terrified him so he didn’t do it. Twenty years later, he decided to give it another go and that’s when he got the climbing bug. This Sunday he’s doing something AMAZING – leading a team of climbers who will scale the height of Everest (8,848m). In a single day! With their climbing wall 12.5m high, it’s anticipated the team will have to scale it 708 times over a period of 6-9 hours to reach their goal. The Everest Challenge will be a huge test for the team in terms of their commitment, strength and endurance.
My brother Ed also has Ulcerative Colitis so you might wonder why he’s embarking on such a feat.
Ed (second from right) with the Everest Challenge team.
Ed is doing the Everest Challenge for my other brother Ollie who has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). He is helping to raise money for ME Research UK, a charity which conducts biomedical research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). ME is a systemic neuro-immune condition characterised by persistent physical and mental fatigue, which is not alleviated by sleep or rest. Other symptoms include muscular pain, cognitive disturbances, digestive pain, sleeping problems, light sensitivity and psychological difficulties. The effects of ME are devastating enough to leave 25% of patients housebound or bed bound. For moderate to severe patients, living with ME is like living with late-stage cancer, advanced stage AIDS, or congestive heart failure for decades.
The services available to patients with ME are currently very poor as there is limited biomedical research and no access to possible treatments that would prevent the disease from becoming more severe. ME Research UK commission research into the causes and treatment of ME and aims to make a measurable difference to those who suffer from it.
Ed and the Everest Challenge team have a huge task ahead of them this Sunday (17th January) so please sponsor them if you can. The Everest Challenge starts at 9am on Sunday 17th of January at Watford Central Leisure Centre, near London, UK.
To sponsor the Everest Challenge team CLICK HERE
