Meet Our Supporters – Jamie Neill

Meet Our Supporters – Jamie Neill

Jamie’s story:

During lockdown, I’ve been using the 5 back garden steps to keep active and complete the elevation of mountains over several days.

I wanted to push myself further by trying ‘24 Hours on 5 Steps’, where I would repeat the cycle day and night. For me, I knew it would be uncomfortable but it was only one day of having to endure it.

I chose to fundraise for Scottish Mountain Rescue because of my passion for Scotland and our outdoors, and having learned a lot more about their service in the last year. Their motto of being ready at ‘Any Hour, Any Day, Any Weather‘ inspires me and knowing that volunteers could still be called into action during this uncertain time encouraged me to support.

My challenge went well, starting on Monday 18th May at 12pm and finishing a day later. I did 8100 sets up and down (81,000 steps), which is an elevation of 5670 metres, equal to 4 x up and Ben Nevis or going to Everest Base Camp from sea level and back. The first few hours were sluggish and sore but it settled and I actually enjoyed pushing myself through the night, with small targets every hour. The final push was a relief, in need of sleep with my calves twinging, but the challenge gave me a lot of mental strength, comparable to tackling long mountain days.

My target of £365 reflected SMR being there all year round, but thanks to many kind supporters, the total has reached £750 and made my efforts even more worthwhile. I hope it benefits Scottish Mountain Rescue and I’m delighted to contribute!

If you would like to donate to Jamie then please visit his Just Giving page.

Instagram: @jamieneillscotland