Hello,

At the start of lockdown this year I was motivated to remain fit and strong and so I decided to challenge myself in a physical activity.  I finally settled on trying to achieve 1000 press ups in an hour!  This has never been achieved in the history of Millfield School and so I really wanted to do something which was a huge physical and mental challenge for myself and at the same time raise money for a worthwhile cause.  

I was inspired by Ed Jackson, an old Millfieldian who is a quadriplegic ex-rugby player. He suffered from a spinal injury in April 2017 which shattered Jackson's professional rugby career and left him paralysed from the neck down, unable to move any of his limbs. He has spent the past three years shocking doctors after they told him he would probably only have limited use of hands let alone walk again. Ed has shown ruthless defiance, focus and sheer hard work to allow himself the opportunity to live a relatively normal life. Ed Jackson challenged himself to be the first quadriplegic to climb Everest, he climbed it in April 2020 where he climbed 89,056 steps in his parents house.

When I heard about this heart warming story, I felt I had to do something to raise money for this soul stirring, perseverant adventurer. I will be looking to raise money for Ed’s next challenge, which is Walk the Spine which consists of a 14 day walk across the Pennine Way. Ed’s charity also raised money for a charity called spinal cord research foundation.

Since April I have been training 3 times a week to build up my preparations for the 1,000 press ups challenge.  It’s been a gruelling journey and I feel that I am now ready to take on the challenge.  My plan is to stream the 1 hour challenge to all people that would like to watch.  The date is August  6th at 6pm.  I will send out an email with a link to the live stream to all who have contributed to this cause.

Many thanks for your support

Fraser Hart