Two Hampshire and Isle of Wight firefighters from Gosport are taking on the gruelling Hyrox challenge later this month in Manchester to raise vital funds and awareness for the Kitchen Table charity in Gosport.
Amanda Holloway and Katie Pond will compete in the Women’s Doubles Pro category on Saturday 27 January in Manchester which includes everything from running and rowing to sandbag lunges and sled pushes. To make the extreme race even more challenging, they will compete wearing their full set of fire kit.
The Hyrox challenge is a world series of fitness racing that combines running and functional workout stations. Each event is hosted indoors and spectators can watch the whole event, creating an immersive experience and electrifying race. A record breaking 7,500 athletes will compete later this month at Manchester Central Convention Complex.
A mixture of professional athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts can take part and the format of the race is the same across the globe, creating global leaderboards and cumulative world championships at the end of each race season.
The Kitchen Table charity supports struggling families with rising bills by providing free meals to children and their parents/carers at Christ Church in Gosport every Monday from 5pm. Katie and Amanda chose the charity as being mums themselves they feel passionate about the charity’s commitment to help feed local families affected by the cost of living crisis.
Amanda Holloway said:
“The volunteers at the Kitchen Table work tirelessly to provide a welcoming, safe environment for families. It’s a supportive community where families can enjoy a meal at the dinner table together and have the opportunity to chat.”
Katie Pond said:
“As well as providing free meals, the charity also provides hampers, baby food, nappies and sanitary essentials to the visiting families. This is an extreme race in normal circumstances, so competing in Fire Kit will be tough!”
Crews from Gosport have shown their support for the charity by previously helping the dedicated Kitchen Table volunteers with serving up meals to hungry families during the free Monday meal drop-in sessions.
On Monday 22 January, the duty crew from Gosport also attended a Kitchen Table session in a fire truck, which gave the children a chance to meet some of the firefighters and have their photos taken with the crew and fire engine.
Each week the Kitchen Table charity serves up around 120 meals and then offers leftovers and hampers of 3-4 days’ worth of food to each family. On average they support local families with around 500 meals per week and they rely entirely on donations from their congregation and fundraising.
By taking on the Hyrox challenge Katie and Amanda are aiming to raise £1,500 to support the charity that provides a lifeline for so many families. A percentage of the fundraising will also be donated to The Fire Fighters Charity.
You can show your support for Amanda and Katie on their fundraising page.