TWO coaches from a grassroots football team have proved their stamina off the pitch as well as on it.
They have run, cycled and climbed all the way from their homes in Saddleworth to the summit of Snowdon!
Tom Capper and Mark Newton, who help lead the Under-8s Saddleworth Strikers team, took on the three-day test at the end of August.
The pair aimed to complete the mammoth route in under 20 hours. Not only did they succeed – they smashed it, finishing in just 15 hours and 20 minutes.
The challenge was split into stages, with running, cycling and mountain climbing combining for a punishing schedule.
On the second day, Tom’s 65-year-old father-in-law also joined them for the cycle leg from Deeside to Bangor in north Wales.
Originally, they set a fundraising target of £500 but the community rallied behind them, helping them raise more than double that – £1,225.
That figure was then doubled thanks to a generous match donation from Tom’s employer, Robert Scott & Sons in Greenfield.
The money will keep the Strikers kitted out and equipped for years to come, while a portion is also being donated to Our Community Wardrobe, a Lees-based charity helping families in need with clothing.
Tom and Mark’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed either – their families were there every step of the way, with children Albie and Oscar, both Strikers players and pupils at Delph Primary cheering them on from the sidelines.
For a grassroots team that’s been playing together since most of the lads were four, the challenge wasn’t just about raising funds. It was another lesson in teamwork, perseverance, and aiming high – values the Strikers have been learning on the pitch week in, week out.
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