Paralympic Gold Medallists to cheer on Buxton’s Rowers, Riders and Runners
13 May 2009
Paralympians Sarah and Barney Storey at the run and row-a-thon, University of Derby Buxton.
We’re very excited to get the support from Barney and Sarah Storey.
”Event organiser, Richard Robinson, University Lecturer in Public Services.
Paralympic gold medallists Sarah and Barney Storey are visiting the University of Derby Buxton to support a charity exercise extravaganza where students will put themselves through a gruelling 24 hour ride, run and row-a-thon.
The couple hold 20 Olympic medals - Sarah is one of Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympians (second only to Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson) – and will be bringing their medals to the event tomorrow, Thursday May 14, 2009
Seventy five students will cover a stretch of 1,748 miles - the distance between Land’s End in Cornwall and John o’Groats in the Scottish Highlands and back again - on rowing machines, cycling turbo trainers and a running track around the upper level of the magnificently restored Dome at the University’s Devonshire Campus.
Sarah and Barney Storey, a Manchester based husband and wife team are both British Paralympic cyclists and each won two Paralympic gold medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. They’ll be joining the students seven hours in to the punishing challenge which aims to raise £2,000 for the ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ charity.
The charity aims to grant the wishes of children with life threatening or terminal illnesses.
Event organiser, Richard Robinson, University Lecturer in Public Services at the Campus and a former physical training instructor in the Royal Navy, will be spurring his teams on during the event which starts at 11am on Thursday 14 May and finishes 24 hours later.
Richard said: “We’re very excited to get the support from Barney and Sarah. It’s not everyday you get to meet a gold medallist, never mind two, and I know the students are really looking forward to the chance. We’ll have been rowing, riding and running for almost a full working day when they arrive and I’m really hoping they’ll bring some energy and motivation to the teams.”
Richard has organised similar row-a-thon events in previous years at the Buxton Campus but this year wanted to step up the pace by adding different sporting elements.
He said: “In previous years the event has been run by students from the BTEC National Diploma Uniformed Public Services Course, this year we’ve opened it up to students on the sports courses too including the FdA Sports Coaching - Cycling Pathway programme.
“They’ve arranged the whole event as part of their studies and felt that they wanted to ramp up the challenge by adding different elements which will ultimately test the athlete’s endurance and skills differently.”
Riders, runners and rowers will be kept hydrated on the day thanks to Buxton Mineral Water who is providing bottled water for the students.
Derbyshire Police Constabulary in Buxton is also supporting the event by lending cycling turbo-trainers to the athletes for the event.
Sarah Storey is one of Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympians, having won seven Paralympic gold medals (18 medals in total) since making her international debut as a swimmer at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona.
Barney Storey piloted his partially-sighted tandem partner Anthony Kappes to two golds at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008. He was also pilot for gold medals at the 2006 and 2007 World Disability Championships. In addition he coaches many of the elite disability riders.
Sarah and Barney Storey collected an OBE and an MBE respectively from Buckingham Palace for services to disabled sport in March 2009.
To Sponsor the University’s Run, Ride and Row-a-Thon contact Richard Robinson on 07967585395 or email him at r.robinson@derby.ac.uk
For further media information please contact Annabel Harvey, 01332 593004, a.harvey@derby.ac.uk
