The worst of the winter weather may well be behind us, but a truly arctic challenge still lies ahead for Old Viking Mike Shepherd, as he prepares to tackle the 2015 North Pole Marathon.
Mike, who left Shiplake in 1981, has since formed a company coincidentally named Orchard House. He is taking on the challenge to raise money for ‘Invest in ME’, after his daughter was diagnosed with the debilitating condition in 2008. The charity raises funding for biomedical research into the disease, and aims to improve education about the disease amongst the press, the public and healthcare professionals.
The challenge will involve 9 laps of a Russian science station located one degree shy of the pole, which makes a full 26.2 mile marathon course. The temperature in April is likely to be between -25c and -40c, with wind chill factors dropping the temperature further towards -100c! In 2012, Mike had a life threatening heart scare and subsequently had a pacemaker fitted. This will make the run even more difficult, with Mike the first person with a pacemaker fitted to even attempt the race.
Mike commented: ‘I am determined to do something that will help all families who struggle with ME, as there is very little funding for research into the illness. Having secured corporate sponsors to cover the considerable entry fee, I am now looking to raise £50,000 to help this worthy cause. I would be extremely appreciative of any help members of the Shiplake College community can offer. I am most grateful for the support already pledged by the Old Viking Society.’
More information about the race can be found at
www.npmarathon.com. To sponsor Mike, please visit his
JustGiving page.