Josh and Ian ‘Raced the Train’ and hit their fundraising target for the Conwy Whales Swimming Club.
Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com
*The sheer joy of beating the Highland Train (*above) with Josh Mottram (*rear) and Ian Taylor following their dash back to Caernarfon Station.
Enthusiastic runners and charity fundraisers Josh Mottram and Ian Taylor kept their pledge by ‘Racing the Train’ at Caernarfon this week and beating their £500 target for a very worthy cause - the Conwy Whales Swimming Club!
The dashing duo, who are also keen Conwy parkrun members, were in fine form last Wednesday night as they eventually out-ran the mighty Highland Railway train from Dinas back to its starting point at Caernarfon Station.
They were within a group of about three-hundred varied ability club and social runners who took part in this exciting annual challenge, yet surprisingly they also found themselves part of an elite section of athletes who actually beat the train!
Ian confirmed: “So we both beat the train and Josh Mottram beat me with a fantastic time of 21.14, which is his personal best for 5k. I was lagging-behind in 21.33, (next time I'll catch you Josh) this is also part of Josh's work towards his Duke of Edinburgh award that he is working towards.
“People have donated £735 so far for the Conwy Whales Swimming Club. Thank you all so much, the club and all its members will benefit greatly from this. It has helped so many members to learn to swim, which is a real gift for life, I'll keep the page open for a week or so in case anyone else wants to donate. Thank you to everyone for all your support.”
Just prior to the event, he explained: “We will try to raise funds for Conwy Whales Swimming Club, where we both volunteer. Conwy Whales is an amazing club! Josh joined to learn to swim and to spend some time with his friends, and with the help of the fantastic volunteers past and present, he is now a strong swimmer and a volunteer himself! “Volunteering at this club is something that Josh is very proud of, and it’s so lovely to see from each session, the improvement in swimming skills, his confidence, and his love of the water! “The Club provides swimming and teaching for people with additional needs, and it’s such a special club, and anything donated will be greatly appreciated and used to benefit its members. They have helped so many people to learn to swim, and it's entirely run by volunteers, and they are also always looking for volunteers to help with its fortnightly sessions, starting again in September.”
*This is the direct link to Josh and Ian’s special JustGiving fundraising page:
*This is the link to Josh’s Facebook page and about his fundraising plans: