Vehicle commander Kyle Bentley, driver Duncan Rogers of Tanktastic, wounded former paratrooper Ben Parkinson, former solider Simon Brown, Prince of Wales Hospice nurse Julie Bullen, elite cyclist Ashley Brown, and STG’s MD Andy Watson.

PROPERTY professionals from Yorkshire-based Strategic Team Group raised £2,000 in a fundraising event as they count down the weeks before setting off on one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges.

The team, named Strategic Lions, hosted the event at Xscape in Castleford joined by wounded former paratrooper Ben Parkinson and former soldier Simon Brown.

Members of the public joined the team on turbo bikes and hand bikes as they trained for Race Across America (RAAM), the gruelling 3,000 mile challenge from California to Maryland.

The team aims to raise funds during the run up to the challenge and have agreed to split the proceeds between Help For Heroes and the Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract.

The team, including Strategic Team Group’s managing director Andy Watson and contracts manager Stewart Loben, will be joining elite cyclists, double Olympian John Tanner, GB title holder Ashley Brown and Best British All Rounder title holder Kev Dawson in a bid to break the current relay team world record in RAAM, set to take place between June 12 and 21.

The professionals will mentor the novice cyclists as they jointly aim to break the current world record for the team relay event, which stands at five days and 10 hours.

Mr Watson said: “This is the first time we have all, including the professional cyclists, undertaken a challenge of this magnitude and the gruelling schedule is going to push us all to our absolute limits, both physically and mentally. But it takes challenges like this to encourage people to dig a little deeper into their pockets and donate to such a worthy causes.

“Whilst we’ve got an epic journey ahead, it pales into insignificance when compared to some of the experiences members of the British armed forces have shared and the impact a life limiting illnesses can have not only on a patient but family and friends.

“We know only too well how vital funding is for charities, so we are all totally committed to raising as much as we can, as well as ensuring we remain firmly on the saddle.”

To make a donation visit www.bmycharity.com/strategiclions

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