TAKEN FROM SURC FACEBOOK PAGE,
On Friday, despite the heavy rain, several people got on the rollers for the start of the 48 hour event, in which we had set the ambitious goal of accumulating 8848km on the rollers, the approximate distance from Southampton to Kathmandu, Nepal. On Sunday, 48 hours and 5 minutes later, we were counting down the last 10 seconds. Simple ey? This idea was thought up and developed over a bank holiday breakfast at SURC HQ just a few weeks ago. I sprung it on the committee once I realised I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew in terms of organisation. I want to share with you all that they were absolutely amazing- they all pulled together to get this organised despite the busy exam period. I’m super proud of them all, and you should be too; I am confident they will keep SURC thriving over the next year. Well, the idea was simple, the execution not so much! I personally spent more than 24 hours on campus, including both nights and, even on the first night, I nearly broke at several points. It was super tough, mentally as much as physically, yet I spent far less time in the saddle than several other people. Stay tuned for my special mentions. I am not ashamed to admit that at the end of those long 48 hours, I shed a few tears. It was such a mix of emotions- sadness as I remembered the three friends I lost to the earthquake who were one of the major motivations of organising this event; absolute exhaustion yet relief and largely disbelief that we had actually made it. And finally, tremendous pride in all of those who contributed, from those who responded to our last minute pleas for help and those who rode hundreds of kilometres, to the roller novices who made determined efforts to contribute to the total and every single person who has made donations. It was an ambitious idea, which I nearly regretted initiating at several points, but we all made it happen. Over 60 people contributed to riding a total of 9220 km in 48 hours. Considering we were significantly behind target for most of the event I’m amazed that, thanks to many selfless responses to our desperate pleas, we actually managed to exceed our target distance! It was a mega challenge for us all, but let’s not lose sight of why we did it. Through all the discomfort, I think we all kept in mind the millions of people in Nepal who are living indefinitely without clean water, a reliable food source and sufficient shelter. Our efforts pale in significance, but we have done something with the hope of reducing the suffering somewhat. So far, we have raised £1,847.52 for the Oxfam Nepal Appeal. The support on campus throughout the whole event was very humbling: donations from passers-by totalled an incredible £499.12. Oxfam have been in touch with a message of thanks and also inform us that the amount we have raised could cover the cost of 6 temporary family tents for families who have been made homeless, plus 20 life-saving hygiene kits which stop the spread of disease. This WILL make a difference. Although the event is now finished, we are still collecting donations on our JustGiving page. Please continue to share this page, especially if you haven’t already done so; let’s reach £2,000! DONATIONS – JUST GIVING PAGE
Anna Morris– for riding the most kms of any of the women (400km)
Andrew Lockwood– for riding the most kms of any of the men (565km) at a seriously respectable average speed (55-60km/h I believe)
Matthew Posner and Harry Chamberlain– for breaking the 500km mark
Billy Monteith– for contributing a huge amount to organisation of the event
Sophie Louise Herbert– for riding about 8 hours all no handed
James Thomas– for learning to ride rollers on Friday then riding through both nights
Greg Kelleher– for carrying on riding after the end of the event to reach his personal distance goal
Mark Whistler– Big Watts gets the award for most spectacular fall
Ian Wright– for riding through the night then leaving at 6am to go to work for the day
Alison Caldwell– for overcoming the urge to swear at the rollers every 10 seconds and putting in several fast hours