With its spectacular scenery and demanding nature, the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge welcomes many hikers – and June 1st was no exception. Last Saturday, Mermaid Medical and Gwent Interventional Radiology laced up their hiking boots, put on their green caps, and grabbed their walking sticks to set out on a challenging journey together in the name of charity. As it turns out, the hike wasn’t just about physical strength and endurance – it was also about teambuilding, camaraderie, and great laughs.
A 24-miles (38.6 km) round trip and a 5,000 ft vertical ascent isn’t for the faint-hearted. Luckily, (almost) anything is possible when your mind is set, your heart is in the right place, and you surround yourself with people who cheer you on when the path gets rough.
Starting the day off at 4 o’clock in the morning, spirits and energy were high in the minibus. After a 4-hour drive, the group set out to take on the challenge of the peaks, and it didn’t take long for them to realize why this exact loop is often used as a charity challenge. Emphasis on challenge.
According to Max O’Loughlin, Territory Account Manager at Mermaid Medical, the second ascent was the most brutal one, forcing the hikers to use their hand to climb the steep hillside. Despite this, and quite impressively, everyone managed to keep going with smiles on their faces.
Successfully completing the challenge requires everyone to cross the finish line within 12 hours. Sure enough, like pearls on a string, the hikers trickled in and joined the group for a much-deserved cold drink in the sun.
Taking on hard physical challenges like this serves as a great reminder of those fighting even harder battles. Gwent IR and Mermaid Medical share the understanding of the utmost importance of cancer research, and Dr. Goyal Nimit from Gwent IR brought this challenge to live to help raise awareness and money for Cancer Research UK.
Our shared goal was to raise £3,000, and even though we’ve already successfully surpassed that target, we continue our efforts, knowing that each additional donation can make a significant impact.
Raising funds for CRUK wasn’t the only goal for the day; getting to know each other on another level was also a big priority. When you spend a full day together, conversations go places they wouldn’t normally go in more professional settings, like the classic “dog vs cat” discussion. Something magical happens when industry and clinical work closely together. Everyone’s minds are on the job and pushing to get better patient outcomes.
“At the end of the day, it is all about getting better at what we do and how we work together to accomplish better patient outcomes. That is really what it is all about”, said Stuart Green, National Sales Manager UK at Mermaid Medical.
Despite their sore feet, all participants had such a great day together, that they are considering making this an annual event. Who knows what the future holds? Perhaps more people will join in next time. For now, the two teams can rest their feet and give themselves a pat on the back for completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge as a group. Because together, we are one.
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