Video: 100 athletes take on round-Island charity challenge

Thursday 14 July 2016

The challenge: to complete a “lap” of Jersey. The aim: to raise money for, and awareness of, a local children’s charity.

Inspired by a race last year when two local athletes bet each other on who could get around the Island fastest – one running, the other swimming – the Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation has thrown down the gauntlet and invited others to take on the challenge in their own way.

The result: more than a hundred athletes – some doing the challenge on their own, others taking part as members of a team – and a variety of novel approaches.

So, joining runners and swimmers, there are stand-up paddle boarders, rowers, canoeists, and kayakers. Amongst the off-beat suggestions that haven’t come off this year, but might happen next year, round Jersey on a horse, and round the Island on an inflatable lilo. The event’s taking place next Saturday.

Because of the tides and speeds at which the competitors are likely to get around, there’s going to be a staggered start. The swimmers are starting at 7.30am – the same time as the runners. The canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boarders at 8.15, and the rowers between 8 and 8.30.

The Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation was set up by Sara and Nigel Crocker in January 2011 in memory of their daughter Grace who needed open heart surgery aged just five days old, and who later died aged 11 weeks, to help other families from Jersey who need to spend time in the UK whilst their children receive medical treatment in a hospital.

Since then the charity has supported more than 50 families.

As one of the organisers of the event, Aidan McAvinue says: “whilst Health do the best they can there is not the funding to provide adequate support whilst these people go through a very stressful period…so the Grace Crocker charity is there to help them.”