"RUSTMAN"

Chris Shaw and Richard Webster share a lifetime love of outdoors endurance sport - yet it was only when doing some volunteer RNLI and Mental Health community work together that we got talking and appreciated our love of coastal endurance events. There were other coincidences too - both in our mid 50’s, both born on 12 July, both selected Merseyside Olympic torch bearers for our promotion of exercise in improving the mental health of our communities.We were both ultra marathon runners and swimmers - and we both harboured an ambition to plan an endurance event where friends with a similar love of the local outdoors, would choose to accept the significant risks and choose to support each other to cross the Dee estuary and then carry on deep into North Wales in a run, swim, cycle that would roughly be similar to an Ironman event, but where we would be free to be non-corporate, non profit and solely under our own steam as mates! Because we were mostly folks of a certain age with creaky knees and aching limbs we’d call it RUSTMAN rather than Ironman and attempt to raise some funds for local charities in the process

http://theopendoorcentre.org

https://rnli.org/

Last year we found that we’d both had ambitions to cross the Dee under our own steam ( running and swimming) so a group of us made the crossing from West Kirby to Talacre and back. We were all so enthused that Rustman evolved and we now have a phenomenally experienced bunch of mates ready to share the adventure with us, all good friends, veterans of countless Ultra marathon and multisport events and multiple cross mersey swims bonded by a love of extreme sports and altruistic endeavour. A team of ten seasoned local adventure seekers brought together for this unique challenge.

Richard works for RNLI and I still do some work in Mental Health - so rasing funds for The RNLI and The Open Door Centre - a local mental health charity ( https://localgiving.org/theopendoorcentre) seemed a logical and extremely worthwhile focus for our efforts.

Rustman will take us on an adventurous day trip adventure from New brighton to Holyhead - Swimming, Running and Cycling. The challenging route takes us on swims across Dee Estuary, Menai Straits and Cwmran Straights - notorious bodies of water!

RUSTMAN involves:

Bike 12 miles from Mother Redcaps beach where we do our winter swims to Red Rocks

Run and swim the 6 miles from RedRocks to Talacre lighthouse

Cycle the 55 miles from Talacre to Port Dinorwic along North Wales Cycle route.

Swim the 1000m across the Menai Straits from Port Dinorwic to Moel-Y-Don.

Cycle 18.5 miles from Moel-y-Don to Rhosneigr.

Beach Run 3 miles Rhosneigr to Cwmran

Swim the 400m across Cwmran straits.

Run 17 miles cross country along the Anglesey coast path from Cwmran to finish the day in Holyhead harbour!

The challenge isn’t the distance - its the environments and 3 tough swims

THE RUSTMAN TEAM:

Rich Webster- Having competed at a reasonable level at endurance sport around the world , I have in recent years found a new love for our local coastline and challenges that can be found here in a fun non competitive environment

Chris Shaw- a life time of sports and exercise - from captaining college footy teams, road marathons, to mountain marathons, ultra distance bike rides and runs and then turning to undettaking “on your doorstep” challenges to promote local adventures - such as a 57 mile run circumnavigating and pulling in places of local beauty on Wirral supported by Matt Williams from WAAC. to then swimming first to Hilbre and on to West Kirby on the incoming tide from New Brighton and then the following yr swimming from New Brighton to Wales and back New Brighton - supported by National Oceanographic Centre (NOC). Chris is now an advocate for Cold water yr round sea swimming and has introduced many folks over the years to lots and lots of really testing outdoor year-round challenges. He has become a local expert on local sandbanks and the exciting run-swim-run challenges they can present to local folks.after years working in mental health he follows a wholly different path now, building community-health with the philosophy of:

Focussing on whats strong and not what’s wrong Leadership by stepping back and always inclusively saving a seat at the table to welcome strangers

Chris’s favourite event is the annual Cross Mersey Swim.

Dave Walton - Swimming, cycling, running walking and a challenging event with a group of like minded friends. Life does not get much better. Can’t wait for Rustman

Tom Fielding- With a past of marathons, club cycling and triathlons which was halted/paused by a bike crash and becoming a parent. It seems being friends with this lot is all the motivation needed to get out of bed before the toddler and back to it.

Martin Pritchard-Howarth - I have completed many Ironman races, ultra runs and endurance events over the years, culminating in last years Arch to Arc Challenge. I have come to realise as I've matured that real adventure and challenge lies on our doorstep and for this reason I'm relishing the prospect of Rustman more than any higher profile event I've been a part of previously. The appeal lies in the team ethic, camaraderie and the raising of funds for a little publicised local charity doing some fantastic work.

Liam Hanlon - With a life time enjoyment of swimming, cycling & running alongside these beautiful coastal views and dreaming of the freedom that mountains, sea and sky can be...... then the possibility of doing these things together with your mates... makes me proud to be one of the RustMan Legends!!

Sean Boyle- A sporadic participant in endurance events I have completed , not competed , numerous triathlons at standard, middle , half and a couple of full iron distances.Thoroughly enjoyed completing LEJOG in 2014 managing to gain more weight on route. Great company and having a laugh training and doing events with mates keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Joe McGrath- I have now cycled Ireland (Malin to Mizen) x2, France (Caen to Med) x 2 and Amsterdam to Venice via Germany & Austria - some days were 120+ miles. The first of these was completed 4 years ago to raise funds for cancer care as tow good friends had died of cancer around the same time.

Ian Reid- Retired local fire-fighter, adventure swimmer and keen runner, Ian is a key member of the team. He has unparalleled knowledge of local tides and sea conditions and a cool, calm man to have around when the going gets tough or crisis beckons! (written by MPH)

Tin Wilcock- in a perfect world projects like the open door centre wouldnt be needed, in a less than perfect world they would be funded, in our world they arent and rely on the work of volunteers and fund raising to provide the support young people need to function and lives we all take for granted. adventure sports and activities have provided me with so many good friends, happy memories, great experiences and mental escape and freedom it seems natural to share my experiences and thoughts with others and hopefully raise some funds for this project. please have a read about the http://theopendoorcentre.org/ or even better give them a pound or 2

Colin Rivett- As a newcomer to endurance sport this is a great learning opportunity for me and I just hope to hang on to the coattails of the more experienced athletes around me.

Steve McHugh- An integral member of tri4life and veteran of multiple ultra runs, swims and multisport events. Steve swam the English Channel last year in memory of his late friend, Paul Lavelle, and has helped set up a charity in his name. He is always seeking an outlet for his boundless enthusiasm, infinite stamina and willingness to support others on their journeys Rustman fits the bill perfectly, a unique local expedition with no guarantee of success - bring it on!! ( written by MPH)

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