Today marks the start of the ‘9 Lives Challenge’
Wayne and eight other beneficiaries, listed below, will ‘set off’ on 24 July – each taking up to nine days to complete their part of the 560-mile virtual route – finishing on Saturday 1 August. Each is paired with an IJF representative, the charity’s President, patrons and trustees, who will match a similar number of miles as their beneficiary to help them achieve the total and to give them the encouragement to undertake their own personal challenge. Gavin Egan, one of the IJF’s Rehabilitation Therapists, is acting as Team Coach. The Almoners for each of the nine will also be involved and IJF Trustee and beneficiary George Baker will also play an active role in organising the challenge.
The action can be followed by members of the public via IJF social media and daily video blogs.The aim is to raise as much money as possible for the IJF at a time when funds are much needed.
The 9 Lives Challenge is the brainchild of IJF beneficiary, Wayne Burton:
“My name is Wayne Burton and I sustained a life changing injury in 2008 breaking my back in a hurdle race at Exeter racecourse. I have no idea where I would be right now without the support from the IJF. I came up with an idea to give other beneficiaries a challenge while the world is very upside down right now. Myself and other beneficiaries will be challenging ourselves to train to do as many miles as we possibly can to complete the mileage it would take to travel from Oaksey House to Peter O’Sullevan House to Jack Berry House back to Oaksey House, which is around 560 miles in total. We will be doing this challenge in different forms – walking, pushing a wheelchair, cycling, running, swimming…”
IJF President Sir Anthony McCoy says:
“This is a brilliant idea of Wayne’s and to cover 560 miles in total in lots of different ways is a real challenge for the beneficiaries. I hope people donate as this will inspire them to keep going and I shall be cheering them on every day and be getting out there too to help them achieve their mileage target.”
- Wayne Burton, Pushing a wheelchair, 25 miles partnered with Sir Anthony McCoy OBE
- George Baker, Running 40 miles partnered with Frankie Dettori MBE
- Ed Barrett, Walking 7.5 miles partnered with Ed Chamberlin
- Lee Davies Swimming & Handbike, 67 miles partnered with John Francome MBE
- Sarah Gaisford, Pushing a wheelchair, 32 miles partnered with Clare Balding OBE
- Rebecca Hewitt, Pushing a wheelchair, 19 miles partnered with Jack Berry MBE
- Laura Scott, Cycling 52 miles, partnered with Brough Scott MBE
- Isabel Tompsett, Walking 25 miles partnered with Rachel, Lady Oaksey
- Katie Watson, Walking 55 miles, partnered with Peter Scudamore MBE
Each of the 9 Live participants and their IJF Partner have been kindly sponsored and are named as teams below. We will be focusing on each one of the participants and hearing their stories across the nine days:
- 24th Wayne – Team John Pearce Racing
- 25th Rebecca – Team Betfred
- 26th Katie – Team John Pearce Racing
- 27th Isabel – Team John Pearce Racing
- 28th George – Team Stradivarius
- 29th Sarah – Team Markel
- 30th Laura – Team TOTE
- 31st Ed – Team Godolphin
- 1st Lee – Team The Old Golfers
