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A week
later, five team captains had been secured, and
approximately 50 people mustered, all to climb the three highest mountains
in Great Britain, within 24 hours, in June. He isn’t called Mark ‘consider
it done’ Davies for nothing…but why the urgency and the remarkable and
immediate response?
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Thirteen years ago, I married Stephanie English, the widow of a
great friend of mine, Howard English, who had collapsed and died at
Esher Rugby club in October 1993. Howie’s death was diagnosed as
Floppy Mitral Valve Disease - a heart condition that was not
hereditary and Steph was assured that Howard’s death was a tragic
one off.
Our
wedding was a happy occasion and the majority of my friends knew
Howie well and this was the perfect ending to a ghastly period.
Steph was happy again and Howie and Steph’s children, Sebastian (5),
Sabrina (3), and Titus (1) had a new daddy. It was all wonderful,
and a year later Marcus arrived and two years after that the family
was made complete with the arrival of Rory.
Ten
years later, however, history was to repeat itself in the most
unbelievable and cruel way. Sebastian was passionate about playing
rugby and was a dynamic full back. He was super fit and fast. On a
Sunday morning in February 2004, Sebastian inexplicably collapsed
whilst retrieving a ball that had rolled out of play and died
instantly. The diagnosis of ARVC was too late for our darling Bas.
The effect
on Steph and all of us was completely devastating, and has
changed our lives forever. However, we were not alone, and it was
clear that our fabulous friends and family had also been living our
nightmare with us since Sebastian’s tragic death. |
Howard and Sebastian English |
 Mark
Davies has said that when organising the Three Peaks Challenge, his role was
easy. It only took a phone call to key friends from various parts of my
life: Home in Cheshire, School at Rugby, University at Loughborough, Work in
Newcastle and London, and a team of Mark’s friends from Bristol; the
recruitment job was done. It was as though our friends had been waiting for
an opportunity to throw themselves into something major, to cap their anger
and disbelief that Sebastian could have been allowed to die and that Howie’s
death had been misdiagnosed.
They also
wanted to continue to support us in raising the profile and activities of
CRY and promote Steph’s passion of trying to help families avoid multiple
deaths after suffering a tragic loss, by ensuring an accurate diagnosis and
pathology, and insisting on a proper system to advise these families and to
get all vulnerable members checked and sorted. And, wow, did they do just
that! What is so remarkable about the response is that the majority of
those taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge had to train and train hard.
Preparing for the challenge involved many hours of walking at weekends away
from their own families. This was not just one weekend of madness, but an
awesome commitment by everyone involved.
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And
so in the Spring, for the Amberley Trotters, Lufbra
Students, Northern Lights, Peak Earlys and Rugby Ramblers, the
training began. For some, a gentle walk to the pub on a Sunday, or
discovering beautiful countryside on their doorstep. For others, a
proper team training schedule or ‘I’ll leave it until next weekend’.
However, as June approached, (a few hundred pounds lighter thanks to
the local Blacks store) and as the huge sponsorship monies began to
roll in, we all began to realise we were committed and about to
embark on something very special and an experience we would never
forget.
For
me many memories: Pre match nerves at Glasgow Airport and at the
base of Ben Nevis, the beauty of the summit, running the last
kilometre, the hopeless attempt to get some sleep on the minibus,
the one Snow Patrol CD, the dreadful satellite system getting us
lost in a Carlisle car park at 2.30am, the horror of the Steps on
Scafell, the agony of the knees, the magic of Gemma (our physio),
the elation on Snowdon, how delicious fish, chips and mushy peas
are, and the ecstasy of sleep.
What a tribute to
Howie and Sebastian. It is remarkable how one man’s determination to
do something, 5 team captains' unflagging encouragement and 50
people’s commitment, can achieve so much.
As a result, the
fantastic work of CRY is now understood by many more people
throughout the country and over £100,000 has been raised for
CRY. Although this is phenomenal, the lasting memory for Steph and I
is the massive and continued love and support of all our friends who
participated, donated and who refuse to let the memory of Howie and
Bas fade away. We can’t thank them enough.
Rupert Hunter - Peak Earlys
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The event was organised and marshalled by The
Fire Service and £4000 has been donated to the Fire Services Benevolent
Fund.
More pictures and comments from the teams who took
part in this challenge
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