WHEN Paul Le Riche, Nick Johnson and Kelly Langley decided to take on the Enduroman Arch to Arc Challenge in memory of Paul’s mum Pamela and to raise funds for patient care at St. Rocco’s, they knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park.
The challenge involved running the 87 miles from Marble Arch in London to Dover, swimming the English Channel, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and one of the toughest long distance swims, and then cycling the 187 miles from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. They set off earlier this month, covering it as a relay with one of them running, swimming or cycling for an hour and then handing over to the next one.
Paul works in HR and lives in London but is originally from Burtonwood, Warrington. He describes himself as an ‘ordinary person’ who wants to “do something extraordinary for an exceptional person”.
“Mum was one of the original volunteers at St. Rocco’s when it first opened in Orford. I know it had a big impact on her and reflected her own desire to help people and their families through difficult times of their lives. Once my brother and I got a bit older she took up a career for herself in care and nursing homes. I’m sure that this was due to her experience as a volunteer at St. Rocco’s. She felt very passionate about it and I know that if there had been no family left, she would have left everything she had to support the work at St. Rocco’s.”
When Pam became ill she knew that she could turn to St. Rocco’s for help and they supported her during her illness, helping to manage her symptoms. As was her wish, she died at home surrounded by her family in March last year.
Paul had originally planned a solo attempt for the challenge but, as he wanted to take part in memory of his mum and complete it this year, he realised that he would need a little help from his friends and enlisted the support of fellow triathletes Nick and Kelly to form the ‘140 Years to Tri’ team. One hundred and forty is their combined ages.
He said: “It sounds odd but we enjoyed it. It was good to do it with Nick and Kelly. We all had to dig deep at some points but it is amazing what the body will do if the mind is determined.”
There were certainly some tough moments. Paul succumbed to severe seasickness on the boat which made taking on enough calories to see him through each swim difficult. On the cycle the temperatures rose to 38C and sleep deprivation affected all of them.
However, they arrived in Paris to a great reception from friends, family members and their support crew. They were guided in by Nick’s wife, Natalie who drove the support car, navigating them across France and up the Champs Élysées in Paris for the final leg of the challenge. It took the team 59 hours and ten minutes from start to finish.
Although all three men are based in the South East they are all committed to raising as much as they can for St. Rocco’s in memory of Pam. So far they have raised over £7,000 collectively and are planning a Quiz Night in September to boost their total even further. If you would like to support them please go to https://www.justgiving.com/teams/140yearstotri.
