Fitness team prepares for 24-hour workout

Crossfit Aldermaston's £20k target for cancer charities

CROSSFIT Aldermaston member Ed Smith is leading the fundraising campaign for a series of challenges in aid of Macmillan Cancer Research and The Basing Unit – the cancer specialist unit in North Hampshire.

Mr Smith is aiming to raise £20,000 for the two organisations after his girlfriend, Anna Cassell, was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The disease has spread to her liver and lungs and she is receiving chemotherapy to help stop the spread of the cancer.

Mr Smith said: “Anna didn’t want it all to be about her. She wanted it to be about the charities.

“Macmillan have helped us with loads of things. We didn’t have a clue what was going on, and they helped us with everything.

“The Basing Unit is treating Anna and the nurses are great and the doctors are great.

“I wanted to do something to keep my mind occupied and do something to help rather than sitting at home waiting for Anna to get better.”

The fundraising events start with a Wodathon on Saturday, organised by Crossfit Aldermaston, where a team of 40 are going to complete a workout (Wod) every hour for 24 hours.

Each workout will be between five and 30 minutes long and they will complete 24 each.

Mr Smith said: “I’m a little worried as there are 24 workouts to get through and they look pretty hard.”

This will be followed by a Crossfit competition at Aldermaston on Sunday, October 29, which will see several teams from across South England and as far afield as Manchester compete while raising money.

Mr Smith is unable to enter this competition as the minimum age is 35 and he has only just turned 34.

However, as compensation for missing the competition, he is joining a group on the Fan Dance Trident in January.

This event is a 24km route in the Brecon Beacons, up and over Pen y Fan carrying 35lbs – three times in two days – a total distance of 72km (44.7 miles).

Mr Smith added: “If you are going to do something, do it properly. I’m really nervous about January. It’s going to be hideously hard.”

To date, £15,895 has been raised through a Justgiving page and Mr Smith said: “I can’t believe how generous people have been.

“I initially was aiming to raise £2,500, but got that in three hours so I changed it to £5,000 and in less than 24 hours I had raised £8,000 so I upped it to £20,000 and we are only £4,000 short.”

To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tridentfandance