KARL Thompson, 56, from Wokingham has successfully completed a 70-kilometre challenge in hot and humid weather conditions in the Caribbean.
His effort, for the Sandals Foundation, means a boost for paediatric healthcare in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Karl and his colleague Graeme Saunders, 47, from Windsor, organised the event in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for a team of 30 people from the UK, Canada, the USA and the Caribbean.
It included running, sea kayaking, and an uphill hike in the foothills of the island’s active volcano, La Soufrière, with around 50 crossings of the Wallibou River.
Karl said: “Our inaugural event, the Island Run – Antigua in 2023 was tough, with four back-to-back half marathons over four consecutive days, but this year’s challenge was the hardest physical thing I have ever done.”
The steep terrain paired with the blistering Caribbean heat, and the storm that the athletes battled through on day three, made it even more challenging than they could have imagined.
“Seeing the difference the money will make to families in Saint Vincent and the Grenadine islands made all the tough times worth it though,” he said.
“And I must admit it was an incredible way to explore the country’s dramatic landscapes and breath-taking scenery.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
The Island Challenge – Saint Vincent 2024 has raised more than £100,000, which will be donated to the paediatric unit at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) via the Sandals Foundation.
The hospital is the main healthcare facility serving the entire population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Its paediatric department treats around 700 children each year, as well as 140 babies and more than 1,000 women in the maternity ward.
Karen Zacca, Operations Director of the Sandals Foundation, said: “This challenge went beyond physical endurance; it was a shared mission to bring hope to children in need of advanced medical care.
“What we saw was a true coming together of athletes from both the UK and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Funds raised by the Island Run will support healthcare facilities and the purchase of new medical equipment in the Southern Grenadine Islands, which will help the local community following events like Hurricane Beryl.
The foundation’s first purchase will be a digital incubator for newborns needing critical care.
Graeme said: “It’s been a truly amazing experience.
“The Sandals Foundation team who did a lot of the organising behind the scenes, the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority who helped organise the route and close the roads, and the team at Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines who accommodated us, have all been incredible.
“We could not be more grateful.
“We’re flying home this week with aching bones but full hearts.”
For information, and to donate to the fund, visit: justgiving.com/campaign/islandchallenge2024 and sandalsfoundation.org.
