Meet our Supporters – Danny and Hayley
Meet our Supporters – Danny and Hayley
Danny ran and Hayley both took part in the Blackpool Marathon for Scottish Mountain Rescue, with Danny doing the marathon and Hayley the Half Marathon after being rescued by Killin Mountain Rescue back in January. On Sunday 15th of January Danny and Hayley went to climb Ben More. It was a beautiful blue sky crisp day and the weather forecast was great. However what was meant to be a lovely day in the hills quickly turned into a very frightening experience, as a blizzard came in as they were leaving the summit reducing visibility to a minimum. They strayed off course onto treacherous ground as they were descending and Danny slipped and fell nearly 100 metres. Hayley managed to call for Mountain Rescue, but then unfortunately slipped herself and they found themselves close by waiting for help. Killin Mountain Rescue attended and managed to locate the pair who were incredibly relieved to be found. They then careful assisted them to descend the mountain where they were checked over by the waiting ambulance team.
We asked them about why they wanted to raise funds for Scottish Mountain Rescue and why they chose the Blackpool Marathon.
Why did you decide to fundraise for Scottish Mountain Rescue?
We wanted to raise money for Scottish Montain Rescue after our traumatic experience in January on Ben More. If it wasn’t for Scottish Mountain Rescue we wouldn’t be here today so we wanted to raise money to show our appreciation of them.
Why did you decide to take part in the Blackpool Marathon?
For Danny it was a challenge he wanted to complete after being injured for a long time and Hayley wanted to test herself and complete the furthest distance she had ever done. Both wanted to push ourselves to their limits and raise lots of money in the process.
Can you tell us more about what the event was like? What was the weather like and the marathon course?
The weather for the marathon and half marathon could not have been any better. Dry with a cool breeze, the course was relatively flat which helped. The only downside was that it looped passed the finish line twice so that was a test of mental strength.
What was the hardest thing about taking part in the event?
For us both it was the unknown once we got into the miles that we had never ran before, parts of our body / muscles starting getting sore and seizing up but we pushed through. Also headphones cutting out with then all became mind over matter.
What was the most memorable thing about taking part in the event?
The most memorable moments would be getting to the finish line feeling emotional and seeing one another. The other overwhelming moment was seeing people of all shapes, size and age giving absolutely everything to cross the finish line as they were all looking to raise money for charities close to their heart.