On 30 August I will be setting off for a wee run around Mont Blanc as one of the 2,300 competitors in the 2019 edition of the UTMB. I’m calling it Robbiesroundmontblanc
What is the UTMB – The Ultra Trail Mont Blanc is a 170km foot race with over 10,000m of climbing and more painfully descending. The course is described by the French as follows :
“We will be rubbing shoulders with Aiguille de Bionnassay and crossing Col du Bonhomme by moonlight. At sunrise, we will cross Col de la Seigne into Italy and the magical Val Veni overlooked by Noire du Peuterey and the glaciers descending Mont Blanc. Later we will reach the Val Ferret, guarded by Dent du Géant and Grandes Jorasses before finally turning into Switzerland to relish the beautifully protected countryside.
“We will have to put up with fatigue, to overcome our fears and anxieties and climb over Bovine and Les Tseppes. Then, with Aiguille Verte in front of them, under the vertical heights of the Drus and with majestic presence of Mont Blanc before us, we will dive down towards the finishing line in the heart of Chamonix.”
For me that will be 32-38 hours later – 170 km non-stop.
So why would I do such a ridiculous thing? To raise funds for Robbie’s Rehab, a charity set up in memory of one my youngest child’s friends, Robbie Keville, who died three and a half years ago from a brain tumour aged 10. This was the second tragedy to hit the Keville family as his mum had died when he was six of breast cancer.
Mark Keville immediately set up a charity called robbiesrally which raised funds for a pioneering outpatient rehabilitation service at Southampton Hospital for other kids like Robbie. In just three years, it has raised over half a million pounds and helped countless kids.
Please support me support these kids.
I am being ambitious with my target of £10,000. A pound for each metre climbed, every metre supported will be gratefully welcomed by the team and especially by me at 3 a.m. on the second night.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
It has been shown that children benefit enormously from follow-on rehabilitation from, among others, neuropsychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists for their physical and psychological development.
However, this treatment is often only available to the most seriously ill children who qualify for an inpatient stay when discharged children are often in very great need of rehabilitation so that they can return to normal lives, fulfilling their potential at home and at school.”
