Web Designers Win Athletic Event! Honestly.
The Build Up
During the Monday morning coffee break, with a luke -warm Mochaccino and bacon sandwich in hand, it arrived! We had heard the rumours but until we saw the invitation with our own eyes, we had not dared to believe… but here it was our invitation to compete in one of the most physically and mentally demanding events in the UK sporting calendar……. Dave John B’s Knockout Roadshow!
Ok, so spending 35 hours a week in front of a computer is not the ideal training for a team about to compete on the UK’s biggest inflatable assault course! We therefore decided to draft in some outside help and compile a team with the raw athleticism of olympic sprinters coupled with the tactical minds of the world’s greatest chess players. However, due to a number of ‘no shows’ and poor excuses we had to field our ‘B’ team – “A Bit a Blue:”
A Bit A Blue - Team lineup
Michael Ashworth – Web Designer
Thomas Ashworth – Web Designer
Rob Ellis – Web Designer
Vikki Sherouse – Community Artist
Megan O’hare – Marketing Co-Ordinator
Matthew Hutchinson – Project Officer
Thomas O’Beirne – Primary School Teacher
The Event
So it began……. We arrived at the stadium (a field just outside Lancaster!) with anticipation, confidence, competitiveness and nerves in abundance, ready for the challenge ahead. Looking over a sea of inflatable fun, water and instruments of physical torture we waited for our team to be called.
The first of many inflatable challenges!
One by one, the other teams made their way to the start line, all showing the same confidence and enthusiasm that we were faking! This was going to be tough.
The organisers demonstrated the challenges, each one involving a gruelling test of endurance, a lot of water, or both, but we were ready!
The Competition
We took each challenge as it came; “Squeezies, The Tunnels, The Sack Race, The Bungee Mat and Let’s Ski If You Can Do It!” Three teams competed in each game, with the winner taking all 3 points, the runner up taking 2 and the loser leaving with just 1.
At the end of the first round we had taken an early lead with a massive 5 points! It was all ours to lose. We pushed on into the second round… starting with the “The Bungee Mat,” a game that basically involved tying a rope to one of our team mates (Sorry Vik!) and dragging them across a matt of soapy water. Vikki kindly volunteered to take one for the team (a decision she is still regretting) but despite our best efforts we only managed second place… we were slipping!
Tis but a scratch!
Luckily we were thrown a life line in the form of a “Dance Off!” All 20 teams had to line up and show our best moves off for the judges. Not being much of a dancer myself I thought it was game over, but our fearless captain (Thomas O’Beirne) rose to the challenge and pulled his best moves out the bag, we even managed to get a Congo going! It worked, we were awarded bonus points and were straight back in it.
With renewed vigour we entered the final knock out round…. the Sack Race! Second place would secure us a position in the final, the pressure was on and the bar had been set. One at a time we went, with varying levels of ‘Sack Control’, we stumbled around the course. It wasn’t pretty to watch but with two victories we had done enough to secure second and were down to the last two in the final.
The Smugness
The final, who’d have thought it! Having already exceeded all expectations, this was it, we had nothing to lose. The final challenge was “Lets Ski If You Can Do It,” a team event which involved the whole team walking in symmetry using some home made skis…. Thankfully not the most energetic task as all our fuel reserves were running low.
It's harder than it looks!
It was a simple sprint (walk) to the finish, all we needed to do was to be quicker than the other team. We set off… Left, right, left, right, we were doing well, unfortunately so were our challengers. Both teams crossed the line, convinced that they had won. The judges couldn’t call it and it went to a photo finish. Still too close. We had to have a rematch!
Again we set off. Left, right, left, right… This time we were making ground, with big strides we made it to the finish line, with the competition nowhere to be seen, we had done it. Victory was ours!
The Celebration
Proudly, we walked to collect our trophy and winners medals. For many of the team this was the first medal they had received since Primary School, for the rest it was simply the first medal they had received. We took it in turns to kiss the trophy and jump around in front of an audience of two (everyone else had left!) before retiring to the Pub to reflect on the day’s events and congratulate ourselves on a job well done.
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