Last weekend, over 1,600 brave adventurers took on the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge, an epic 106km (65.8 mile) hike around the Island’s coastal path.
Among these intrepid walkers were a team from our Sanctuary, who undertook this formidable challenge to raise funds for our rescue of Benji and Balu, two European brown bears found living in a concrete cage in Azerbaijan. Our Wildheart team consisted of CEO Lawrence, big cat carers Mary and Sandra, and Wildheart supporter Graeme, who is the in-house photographer for local estate agent, Pittis.
The team set off from Chale base camp just after 7am on Saturday, 3rd May, and after walking for 34 hours and 15 minutes, completed their challenge on Sunday evening. Graeme completed an impressive 70km (43.5 miles). We shared updates from the team on social media throughout the weekend and encouraged our followers to donate to their Project Bear fundraiser online. By the end of the weekend, they had raised over £3,600 towards the rescue of Benji and Balu thanks to the kindness of supporters!
When asked how it felt to have completed the Ultra Challenge, Sandra said: “What a phenomenal experience for team Wildheart! Collectively we have pushed our bodies and minds to the limit of endurance and the highs and lows of mental and physical fatigue. When every fibre of our beings wanted to stop, kind words, and the generosity of every single donation, helped us power through right to the end. What can we say apart from our humblest thank you to every donor and supporter for helping us reach the end of this epic adventure!”
