Blog. The Tough Mudder 10

Here at Hospitality Action we are always in awe of our amazing supporters, from swimming the Channel to rowing the West Coast of Scotland, we are bowled over by the heroic acts of those who want to support the wider hospitality community.

A brave group of 10 such dedicated supporters, led by long-time supporter Neel Radia FIH, have decided to undertake the toughest challenge of them all…the epic Tough Mudder this weekend! The heroic 10 have already raised over £3,000 and we can't thank them enough.

We caught up with just some of the team, to learn a little more about this epic challenge and the inspiration behind it.

What inspired you and the team to fundraise for Hospitality Action? Neel Radia FIH, Independent Consultant

Throughout the years Hospitality Action have continued to support the hospitality sector so much, and more recently we saw the difference Hospitality Action was making to those in need through the COVID pandemic. So for us, it was a no brainer to pledge to support Hospitality Action. It is our way to say 'thank you' to you and all you do for us. 

Tell us a little about yourself and your team mates. Christopher Dean, Procurement For Care

Having completed multiple marathons, triathlons and half Ironman competitions I have always shied away from tough mudders as I believed them ‘too tough’! When Neel got together a great group of people, a great team from across care and hospitality I felt I had no excuse, and when my lovely wife signed us up, despite always having said ‘no’, I said ‘yes’. Supporting two amazing charities (Hospitality Action and The Care Workers Charity) makes this Tough Mudder less tough to start, although I’m sure I won’t be saying that at the end…

Why did you choose a Tough Mudder? Sophie Murray, Sunrise Senior Living

It chose me – or should I say Neel did, knowing I am one to push boundaries and if it raise money, it is a huge motivating factor in making sure I am not tempted to back out, in fear of the obstacles!! Staying fit is important and as I am already a total geek on nutrition, this goes hand in hand. However, you won't find me in the gym regularly as a dog walk and house renovations seem to be keeping me fit at the moment 😊

Tell us about your training regime. Emma Dean, Principle Care Homes

All the team members have commenced a training regime, as the course is 5K the team have put their running shoes on and built up their distances on treadmills at the gym or outside in the glorious summer weather. On the course the team will be tackling 13 obstacles which will require upper body strength, with this in mind we have all taken to the gym and are using the weights focusing on bi and triceps strengthening.

The team are training a minimum of three times a week and on the day will be raring to go.

Have you ever raised funds for Hospitality Action before? Oliver Stockdale

Two years ago, during the first lockdown, I bought a Santander Cycles membership to distract the mind from the daily news bulletins, and to explore more of London - I got really into it, cycling 6 days per week. Then the ‘20,000 Mile Hospitality Challenge’ popped up, cycling, running or walking as a collective to raise funds for Hospitality Action’s critical work supporting those most impacted financially and mentally by the shattering of our industry.

I did it on the Santander bikes that weigh 3 times an average road bike with just 3 gears(!), to hopefully raise more funds. I managed to cycle 162 miles in 12 hours over 5 rides/days, the equivalent road distance of the Tower of London to the Peak District. We all pushed each other via LinkedIn posts, raising over £75,000 collectively.

The next summer my story was viewed over 1 million times across the VT and Level Fitness channels on Instagram and Facebook, commissioned by Transport for London… a surreal experience whilst I was working hard at our hotel, continuously behind a mask!

What part of the challenge are you most looking forward to?  Stuart Keown, Signature Senior Lifestyle

I am not looking forward to any of them, to be honest.... Seriously though, probably the arctic enema! The title says it all !! And this is really going to wake us up!!

How can people show their support? Matt Nicholas, Cleverchefs

Showing your support is really simple. You can simply donate via our JustGiving page or we will be mentioning the challenge to everyone we meet and asking them to empty their pockets. Very simply, if all our social media followers all gave us just £1 we would absolutely smash our target for our fantastic charities that do so much for the industry. So please dig deep or give as little as £1. It all adds up and help to make an enormous difference to the lives of people supported by the charities. The Tough Mudder takes place on 24th September in Faygate, starting around 1pm. We’d all welcome the support on the day to cheer us all on over the high obstacles, through freezing water and electricity fields! 

Huge thanks and best of luck to the entire team for tackling this mighty obstacle course. If you'd like to show your support please make a donation, no matter how large or small here.

Alternatively, why not take on a challenge of your own!