Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">I am an instructor with the Sea Cadets at Worthing Unit and have seen how much the cadets get out of the activities they do. I have also seen how much these activities and all the surrounding admin costs. The sea cadets are a charity, and I felt this was a fantastic way of raising money for Worthing in particular and also to encourage some of the cadets to try something different. If I can do it, so can they!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">The gold challenge is based on the sports in the Olympics. Some of these sports I can do with the sea cadets, and I have purposely chosen several of these to illustrate the variety of activities that can be done, whilst also doing something that I think will be fun. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">My challenge is to do the following activities. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">1. Swim - Learn to swim - again. For those that have seen my swimming style, it has recently been described by Mrs Lawrence as "directional panic in water".</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">2. Canoe - Learn to canoe. <span> </span>I have canoed in the past, but again this was a long time ago and all the new stuff I have learnt has forced this skill out!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">3. Shooting – Learn to shoot.<span> </span>Again, a skill that I have done in the past but want to relearn. This is also another sport that can be done within the cadets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">4. Weightlifting – For those that know me, they will know how therapeutic gym time can be for me.<span> </span>This is a great opportunity for me to focus some of my energy on something different in the gym.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">5. Triathlon.<span> </span>This is a personal goal, to do a half triathlon.<span> </span>I have never done one and this is the one element that I plan to do in 2012.<span> </span>This will link my swimming and gym work together.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">6. Rowing. Learn to row - I can do this with the cadets.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">7. Sailing. Learn to sail. Again, something I can do with Cadets.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">8. Cycling. Take part in a cycle ride or three. I'm training for a triathlon. This incorporates a cycle leg, so why not do a cycle challenge too?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">9. 1/2 Marathon. This is similar in theory behind the cycle ride. If I'm doing a triathlon I might as well develop it further and do a half marathon. I'm not expecting to be fast round the course, just finish and not die on the way round would be a bonus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 12pt;">10. Archery - Try archery. To be perfectly honest, I needed another sport, as its in multitudes of 5, and had seen Robin Hood recently so thought I would give it a go.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The challenge is to do them by the end of 2012, but I am aiming to have most of them done by the end of 2011, with the conclusion being the half triathlon and half marathon. Once I had booked a place in the triathlon all my sponsers will be invited to watch the pain!<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There will be regular updates on <a href="http://www.goldchallenge.org/">www.goldchallenge.org</a><span> </span>and also on my just giving page.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Please give to this cause, and hopefully we can get some showers installed!!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />Updates on progress and events: <span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://goldchallenge.blogspot.com/</span></strong></em></span></p>