The Reddaways Removals team took up the Commando Challenge for charity.
The Reddaways Removals team ‘Move a Bit Quicker’ got down and dirty at the Commando Challenge on Saturday 8th October, raising money for Devon Air Ambulance and The ‘C’ group.
The team had to race round a gruelling course at the royal marines’ endurance training centre on Woodbury Common, near Exeter. The course involved taking on various obstacles including wading through a mud pit, scrabbling through pitch black and rocky tunnels, and the renowned ‘Sheep Dip’ a completely underwater tunnel. ‘Move a bit Quicker’ were placed an amazing 6th out of the 75 mixed teams, which means a brilliant 11th out of the 134 teams that entered the 4km challenge.
The team has raised £569 contributing to a total for the event of £250,000!
Reddaways Removals Director and ‘Move a bit quicker’ Team Captain Mike Clinch said, “As the eldest team member at 50, I was worried I might hold the group up, but we worked well together and got round with fantastic results.”
Helena Williams, also in the team said there were a few anxious moments. “We did worry at one stage that we had lost one of the lads in a tunnel. We were all out and shouting back down the tunnel to him as he didn’t appear for ages. The marine was about to head in to find him when he appeared looking very confused. He thought he’d had his arm on the back of the lad in front who had stopped waiting for people to move out the way, but he had reached a bend in the tunnel and has his hand on the wall not the lad in front of him. Being pitch black he didn’t have a clue.”
Helena also admitted there were some nerves when tackling the scary obstacles. “Before we started we were all dreading the underwater sheep-dip, but by the end we all agreed that that tunnels were the worst part,” she said. “They were pitch black, long and very rough. Even my specially wrapped bubble wrap knees came out black and blue. I think we all felt sick with nerves waiting to go but the marines helping were brilliant and although seconds felt much longer underwater, before you knew it you were out the water and still alive!
We’re all up for competing again next year.”
If anyone else fancies a go, the 2012 Commando Challenge takes place on 6 October.
Top picture: the team back row, left to right: Joe Rice, Steve Wren, Daniel Clinch, Dave Littlejohns, Scott Ditchburn, (L-R bottom row)Helena Williams, Mike Clinch (Director) & Phil Evans.