Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Firefighters from White Watch, at Kettering Fire Station, are set to take on the gruelling Boughton Backyard Ultra this May, pushing themselves to their limits to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity.
The team – Ricky Lloyd, Dan Ireland, Charlie Litchfield and Tamaz Fazekas – will face an intense physical and mental challenge at the Boughton Estate in Kettering, running a 6.7km loop every hour for 24 hours.
Running in pairs and alternating each hour, each firefighter will complete 12 loops, clocking up an incredible 80.4km per person.
The Fire Fighters Charity provides free mental and physical rehabilitation and wellbeing support to serving and retired fire and rescue personnel and their families across the UK.
Members of White Watch have personally received help from the charity’s services, making this challenge especially meaningful and an opportunity to give back.
By taking part, the team hope not only to raise vital funds, but also to shine a light on the importance of wellbeing support within the emergency services.
Ricky Lloyd said: “We wanted to do something that really pushed us physically and mentally to raise awareness of this incredible charity, which supports Firefighters in their time of need. Some of us have used the charity ourselves, so this is our way of giving back.
“We know this will be a huge mental challenge, and throughout the 24 hours we’ll be relying on each other for support and teamwork – just like we do on a shift.”
The Boughton Backyard Ultra begins at 12pm on May 2, and the Kettering crew are welcoming support from the local community on the day.
Ricky added: “We’ve been training for over a year to make sure we’re in the best possible shape. During training, members of the public have often stopped to chat or cheer us on, which has really helped keep us motivated.
“We’re hugely grateful for all the support and donations we’ve already received and hope to see members of our community there on the day to push us through.”
To support their fundraising efforts, White Watch recently held a car wash, raising just under £700 towards their target.
Anyone wishing to donate can visit their fundraising page: Kettering Fire Station is fundraising for Fire Fighters Charity
