Teenagers’ endurance week raises £300 for Sport Relief (From Gazette)

Teenagers’ endurance week raises £300 for Sport Relief

6:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News

MOST teenagers spent half-term avoiding their homework, playing on their PlayStations or watching TV.

But, while most youngsters were fast asleep last Monday at 8am, Liam Haygarth and Bertie Rigby were setting off on a fundraising endurance week, with a brisk swim from Tollesbury yacht harbour to Mersea Island.

The following day the fitness fanatics walked from the island to Tiptree. The day after they cycled from Tollesbury to Chelmsford and back.

On Thursday, Liam, 14 and Bertie, 15, rowed to and from Salcot, before completing their endurance efforts by running from Tiptree to Colchester and finally on to Tollesbury.

In total, the Thurstable School pupils covered 127km and raised more than £300 for Sports Relief.

Liam’s mum Pam, of Barbrook Lane, said she was nervous when the duo set off in freezing and foggy conditions on Monday morning, but was proud of their efforts. She said: “When they came up with the idea I said ‘you can’t be doing this, it’s not safe’ and I was absolutely dreading it.

“But as the week went on Bertie’s mum and I saw they were looking after themselves and we became more relaxed.

“They decided to do it because they didn’t know what to do in the holidays.

“Because they’re so sporty anyway, they thought they might as well do an endurance week.”