South Tyneside fitness instructors eye £23k target for cancer fundraising events
Some South Tyneside fitness instructors are taking on three challenges to raise vital funds towards a cancer charity.
A group of South Tyneside fitness instructors will be one short of a professional six pack when they take to the track to raise cash to beat cancer.
But the five gym and swim experts insist they will be ably supported at the annual Relay for Life event - by 12 less health specialist but equally enthusiastic competitor pals.
Chris Crozier, 36, Jenn Costello, 47, Karen Gordon, 52, Michelle Quinn and Joanne Moore, both 54, all work for the borough’s council in its gyms or swimming pools.
They and their dozen friends have teamed up under the ‘Combat Cancer’ banner to take part in the gruelling but fun fitness challenge.
It starts at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium on Saturday, July 11, and involves teams traversing the track for 22 hours to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Since first combining in 2019, Combat Cancer has collected an estimated £20,000 and hopes around another £3,000 will be bagged this year.
Michelle, from South Shields, said each team member had experience of cancer among friends or family and were eager to help stop the disease in its tracks.
The civil servant said: “We started off with a team of 17 in our first year, which then dropped during and after Covid but is now back up.
“We raised about £8,000 at that event and I am confident that we will still get a very good amount this year.
“As well as the relay, we have an aqu-fit-athon and a combatathon planned – I hope both will be well supported.
“The five of us are all body combat instructors who work at the council’s gyms, and Joanne is also an aquafit instructor.”
She added: “Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer and it’s important that we do our bit for research.
“There are 17 in our team, and we are all looking forward to the Relay for Life event, even though it is a bit of a challenge.
“In one of the years, there were just five of us, which made it quite tough, but we have a good number this year.”
Joanne, from Marsden, who has suffered several losses to cancer, including her mum, Margaret, 78, added: “The events we have planned are for a very good cause.
“We have not set a target for how much we hope to raise, we never do that, we don’t want to put pressure on people, but obviously we hope to raise as much as we can.
“We have had over £1,000 pledged already and all that we raise will go to Cancer Research UK.”
The aqu-fit-athon takes place at Jarrow Community Pool, in Field Terrace, between 10am and 1pm, on Friday, May 29.
It is followed by the combatathon at Jarrow Focus, in Cambrian Street, from noon to 4pm on Saturday, June 6, and a fundraising night is planned for later in the year.
Donations to Combat Cancer can be made at www.justgiving.com.