AN INTREPID group of walkers overcame injury to complete a charity trek along one of Britain’s best known landmarks.
Staff from the University of Worcester completed the Hadrian’s Wall Walk challenge and raised £5,869 for the Maggs Day Centre, despite suffering from blisters, sprained muscles and even hypothermia.
Nearly half of the 38-strong team managed to complete the 85-mile trek in 72 hours with teams walking on average between 12 and 14 hours a day.
Nine teams took part from a range of departments including facilities, finance, the University of Worcester Arena, health and society, communications, and the University and Worcestershire County Council’s joint library The Hive, as well as Maggs Day Centre.
Tom Taylor, the university’s assistant director of security and operations, who principally organised the event, said one member of staff was only convinced to pull out of the challenge when he was told he risked losing a toe if he continued.
He said: “They learnt not only about themselves but about each other. Emotions were a big part of the challenge because everybody had their highs and lows.
“There was fantastic team spirit amongst them. If someone was feeling a bit low at the end of the day others would really rally round, cook them food and crack a few jokes. It increased morale.
“But to get up the next morning and do it all over again was very demanding, especially if you were carrying injuries.”
Support teams from the university made up of facilities staff, sports therapy students and a sports therapy graduate from the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, worked from 6am to beyond midnight to transport injured walkers and their kits, offer massages and patch them up.
Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/universityofworcester to sponsor the university’s Hadrian’s Wall Walk.
