Ben & Gaynor's Story
In October 2014 we went to Rhodes for a two week holiday before the end of the summer season . One day we went to Rhodes Town ( North of the Island ) and started to walk on the main road next to the sea. The sun was shining so we decided to carry on walking to make the most of the beautiful views and the weather. A few hours later we were still walking ( and in Flip Flops ! ) and stopped off at the beach to have a drink . We both walked towards the edge of the sea to take in the breathtaking views and to have a good look in the distance just to see how far we had walked . It was one of those moments where you could just have a moment to yourself and think about life and where it is going. Gaynor then turns to me and says " Ben I have an idea for next year." A big smile was on Gaynors face and I knew she was about to tell me something big .
This was the moment The Steve Prescott Foundation Mandraki to Prasonisi Challenge walk was born . I had read Steve's book One in a Million before the holiday but Gaynor decided to read the book on the plane going to Rhodes . Gaynor was totally quiet for the full four hours as she read the book page by page . We had always followed the Foundation and bought items from the website but never taken part in one of the fundraising events . We both decided that it would be a fantastic opportunity to do a challenge walk in Rhodes and do something personal for the Foundation and to honour the great man that was Steve Prescott. Rhodes is our second home and this would be ideal location to do something completely different and totally unheard of on the Island . This year Gaynor has personally made some big changes . Through lots of training in the Gym and making changes to the food and drink she has , Gaynor has lost 7 Stone in weight in 12 month without the help of a personal trainer. This is another reason why Gaynor came up with the challenge to give herself the opportunity to put her new body through a totally new challenge.
The Steve Prescott Foundation is very close to our hearts. As Rugby League Fanatics we always highly rated Steve as a player , but its Steve's story from the moment he was given the news he was Ill that really inspired us in all walks of life.
Please watch the following link which tells you Steve's story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwNIG4AZyv0
So here are the details of The Steve Prescott Foundation Mandraki to Prasonisi Challenge Walk in Rhodes Greece.
Dates August 3rd- August 5th
Stage 1 - 3/8/15 Mandraki Harbour Rhodes to Afandou Beach - Total Miles 16 Miles
We will be setting off from the entrance to the Island . This is where the Colosuss of Rhodes is stood and this is one of the Seven wonders of the world. We will then make the 16 Mile walk to Afandou Beach which is home to the Islands only 18 hole Golf course.
Stage 2 - 4/8/15 Afandou to The Acropolis of Lindos - Total Miles 19 Miles
We will walk 19 Miles from Afandou to the picturesque ancient village of LIndos . We will then make our way to the top of the Acropolis that has some of the most breathtaking views on the Island . During this stage we will stay in Lindos overnight before the final stage.
Stage 3 - 5/8/15 Lindos to Prasonisi Beach - Total Miles 32 Miles
We will make the 32 Mile walk down to Prasonisi which is the most Southern tip of the island . Prasonisi is the Greek word for " Green Island " Prasonisi is where the Aegean sea meets the Mediterranean Sea.
Another massive challenge we will face on the walk is the weather . We are doing the walk during the hottest time of the year where the average temperature can range from 30c - 50c !!!!!! As well as training for the event we will be fully prepared for the conditions we will face . This is extreme heat and this is one challenge I know for a fact that Steve himself would have loved to face . When making your donation please think about this :)
The money we will raise by doing the challenge walk and that you will kindly donate will mean so much for the Foundation and for the people who it will help. Please read the following link for details on the charity and how the money raised will help.
http://www.steveprescottfoundation.co.uk/about-the-steve-prescott-foundation
We would like to thank you all for supporting us and for making a donation towards the Challenge Walk in Rhodes.
We have a very hard seven months ahead of us getting fully prepared for the Challenge . But its a challenge we are looking forward too.
It will be an absolute honour to do this for the Foundation and in honour of Steve . I'm sure during the challenge Steve will be walking with us in spirit all the way.
To follow Ben & Gaynors phenomenal challenge please follow them on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/rhodeschallengewalk
To support their walk You can now sponsor them both for The Steve Prescott Mandraki to Prasonisi Challenge walk by Text Message.
Text SPCW82 £10 to 70070
Text SPCW82 £5 to 70070
Thank you to Simprint in Halifax who have sponsored Ben and Gaynor their challenge walk Banner for Rhodes. A personal thank you to Adam at Simprint for making this happen.
Thank you to Dog Oil who are providing us with free massage oils for all our training and the challenge in Rhodes.
Big thank you to Tracy Hodgson at Vanilla Bikes for providing us with refueling gels and hydration tablets.