David Bamford is Regional Technical Manager at Crane Merchandising Systems. We reported back in January that David and his team of vending amigos were on a mission to raise money for charity. Well, they’ve just accomplished their latest challenge and we asked him to bring us up to speed…
By David Bamford
I would like to update you on where we are with the Dumb & Dumber campaign.
We completed the 12 mile Tough Mudder in Henley on Thames on the 30th April. The date was just a bit inconvenient because the 29th was my birthday and celebrations had to be put on hold… There’s dedication for you!
We completed the event 3 hrs 25 minutes, although on this occasion the time was actually insignificant. The Tough Mudder was one of the best challenges I have ever done: not only do you provide support to members of your own team, you soon discover that everybody hangs about to give further assistance to everybody else before moving on to the next leg. I have never come across so many people helping others that they’ve never even met. Talk about ‘band of brothers’!
Fortunately, the weather on the day was on our side. I’m not sure that the Ice Bath and the other cold water obstacles would have been that great had it been a cold day… (It doesn’t bear thinking about!)
Craig Fairclough (Bensons & Clark Vending) and James Howcroft (Aimia Foods) were once again fantastic team mates all the way. To watch Craig (6ft 3in) been carried by a 5ft 5in lady along a muddy track was so funny. (Hero Carry). It was just a shame we didn’t get a picture of that. James wasn’t a fan of the Arctic Enema though… (Take a look at the video and you’ll see why…)
There was lots of running and the walls we had to climb were immense. It took a team effort to get us all over them and that is with six-footers Craig & James. Me? I’m average height. (Yes, 5’9″ is not short, it is average!). Then we were climbing into tubes for an obstacle called ‘Sewer Rat’. (The mind boggles, Ed.)
The finale was the ‘Electrocution’, which involved running through long strands of wire with voltage running through them! I was thrown to the ground and Craig just huddled up and hoped it would stop. James went straight through like the real macho guy he is! On the plus side, you only get electrocuted on your 1st Tough Mudder; the second time round you get to throw yourself off a 30ft platform onto an inflatable mat. So that’s all right, then!
This week-end, the Team Dumb and Dumber is heading to Snowdonia for challenge No 2, ‘Race the Sun’. Cycling, Hiking; Cycling, Canoeing and finally – for a change – more cycling, in just the one day! Saturday 11th June.
If you’d like to support us, click here for our Just Giving page – and thanks!
* PV would like to thank David for keeping us in touch. Team Dumb and Dumber will be doing more Tough Mudder challenges in 2017 – possibly in 2016, too. The team is still looking for shirt sponsors and in fact any kind of sponsors! If you want to help, please get in touch.
