Aberdeen local Dave Thompson, 54, will be running an ‘Ultra marathon’ during a ‘good’ weather window in late July to raise funds for local charity Denis Law Legacy Trust to fund its flagship Streetsport programme.
Aiming to raise £1,000 for the charity, Dave will tackle the 50-mile Assynt Traverse, a mammoth 12-peak route starting at Loch Lugainn below Stac Pollaidh and finishing at the Loch Glencoul viewpoint at Unapool near Kylescu. The major ascent of the route is nearly 21,000 ft, and the majority of the run is pathless with boggy terrain.
Braving the elements for a great cause, Dave will be running solo to fundraise for Streetsport, which is run in partnership with Robert Gordon University and delivers free week-nightly sports and creative activity sessions for young people across Aberdeen City.
The Streetsport programme aims to reduce areas of high youth annoyance in the city, as identified by Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, by utilising mobile sports arenas and equipment in various locations including car parks, parks and local facilities.
Mark Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Denis Law Legacy Trust, said: “Dave’s been a standout volunteer for us for many years now, excelling at our Streetsport sessions on Wednesday nights in Torry where the participants really take to him.
“He’s already done so much for the charity through this and past fundraising so for him to take on this next challenge in aid of Streetsport again is both inspiring and extremely generous. We wish him all the best and look forward to his first session after reaching the Assynt Traverse summit!”
Cheering Dave on will be his RMI colleagues based around the world, who have supported Dave’s fundraising efforts and would be well placed to step into the breach should Dave require rescuing, as the company works to protect the health and safety of workers in high-risk and remote environments around the globe.
To donate to the cause please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dave-thompson28 and to find out more about the charity and learn how you can help, follow the link.