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From Champagne region to Champagne Lounge: A challenge in aid of Headway Jersey
Our team is comprised of key members of staff from Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa and Headway Jersey, including managing director, Eamonn Elliott, and executive head chef, Richard Allen, from Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa and Headway Jersey services manager Mark Harris. Rob Cassin, pilot boat coxswain for the Jersey Coastguard and Michelle Laubscher, General Hospital staff nurse are also joining the group.
Our challenge starts with a long cycle from Epernay in North East France (the Champagne region) to Carteret in Normandy, covering 317 miles in three days, before rowing 22 miles across to Jersey, finishing in the Champagne Lounge at The Grand Jersey.
Eamonn and Mark have previously teamed up on a number of other challenges, including the Seven Marathons in Seven Days and Three Day Triathlon Challenge in 2012.
‘It was around the time of the Triathlon Challenge in 2012 that Eamonn and I started to formulate a plan of what the cycling and rowing challenge would involve and where it would take place. A date was soon set for early August 2014 as it was clear that we would need lots of time to prepare for such a huge challenge,’ says Mark.
The challenge commences at Maison Perrier Jouet in Epernay on Wednesday 6th August, which is home to many of the world’s most celebrated Champagne houses, We will then embark on an arduous three-day cycle across northern France, passing through the well-known communes of Chantilly and Caen, before reaching the second leg of the challenge in Carteret.
Headway Jersey’s chief executive officer, Ray Cooper, will join us at this point as he will be providing guard boat support we row to St Helier. It is expected that it will take up to 5 hours to cross the 22 mile stretch of water between Carteret and St Helier harbour.
Eamonn says: ‘It has been a great team effort so far to get this project set up and ready for August. Mark and I have had great success in similar endurance events in the past, raising much needed funds for Headway Jersey in the process. The public has been really supportive of previous events and we hope that the challenge will inspire more people to donate to this fantastic cause."
On Saturday 9th August we will arrive at the Champagne Lounge in Grand Jersey, which will be followed by celebrations to mark the occasion.