Students from the University of St Andrews Triathlon Club are cycling and running the equivalent distance from the university to Hong Kong, the USA and back in aid of the Fife Gingerbread charity.
With students from around the world as part of the university all in lockdown across the globe, the club found their furthest member from the university itself to try and reach them on foot and by bike.
A bit of digging showed that Hong Kong was the furthest away and decided to make the 5,883 miles the target for their fundraising challenge. Once they got there however, they decided that they’d double the challenge and have begun to make their way back via Seattle and New York where two of their other members lives.
The Fife Gingerbread charity are a voluntary sector organisation who work to support lone parents and families in need with a variety of local services across Fife. Through the challenge, the club hopes to raise £300 to donate towards their work.
Money raised by the students will go towards baby boxes for new parents, meaning they have the basics they need when they arrive home from hospital with their new-born child.
The students have been cycling and running at home and around their local areas whilst under lockdown, balancing their revision for exams and coursework deadlines alongside the challenge. They’ve also been joined by alumni from the university triathlon club to help complete the distance.
With a weekly Zoom turbo session across the club, they’ve stayed in touch with each other and cycled together, as well as following and encouraging each other on Strava.
Having reached Hong Kong and the £300 target, the club have increased their challenge by cycling an additional 6,487 miles to Seattle and, with another member on the US east coast in New York, the club have their eyes set on the Big Apple before travelling back to St Andrews to raise as much money as possible.
You can follow their progress on their Facebook page and donate via Just Giving on the buttons below.
