Captain Simon ‘Sip’ Powers, of the British Royal Logistic Corps is preparing for a punishing 1000 mile journey across the length of breadth of Great Britain. The challenge is in support of Battle Back – an initiative dedicated to rehabilitating injured service men and women – through the UK charity Help for Heroes.
The Battle Back 1000: 20 mile swim, 870 mile cycle ride, 140 mile run.
Having participated in Ironman and various other triathlon events for years, Captain Powers sees this as his ultimate challenge: 1000+ miles of swimming, cycling and running over a 14 day period starting on 2 June 2012 – an ultratriathlon-style event he has named ‘The Battle Back 1000’.
Helping wounded soldiers Battle Back to health
Battle Back is a Ministry Of Defence led initiative in partnership with and funded by both The Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes. Battle Back is an Adaptive Sport and Adventurous Training programme for wounded, injured and sick personnel from across the Armed Forces, including mobilised reservists.
Battle Back is also available to Veterans but is here funded separately. Captain Powers aims to raise as much as possible through the charity Help for Heroes to support Battle Back’s valuable work.
Proving diabetes need not be a barrier
To make this even more of a challenge, Captain Powers is a Type 1 diabetic which requires him to regulate his blood sugar levels every few hours. The demands of swimming, cycling and running for up to 10 hours a day will mean that his diabetes will need to be carefully managed – but Captain Powers is confident of overcoming this and completing the 2 week challenge.
Showcasing the spirit of the British Army
Powers is a great believer that The British Army is famous for ‘looking after their own’. His motivation for the challenge is the inspiring attitude and achievements of wounded army colleagues who’ve ‘battled back’ to reclaim their lives following terrible injuries.
Captain Powers said, “As someone with Type 1 diabetes I’m classified as having a ‘disability’ but it’s never held me back and when I compare this to the challenges my wounded army colleagues face, some having lost limbs, it puts things into perspective. If I reach this goal then it will help them reach theirs – that’s a massive motivation.”
Supporting Captain Powers on the Battle Back 1000
To achieve his goals for Battle Back, Captain Powers needs help with:
- Commercial sponsorship
- Press and media coverage
- Fundraising donations
- Support on Facebook, Twitter & Google Plus.
Further details are available at www.battleback1000.com and on the event’s Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and YouTube pages.
Communications specialist 20:20 Agency is providing promotional support for Captain Powers, coordinating all media and sponsorship activities for the epic challenge. For more information on press coverage and sponsorship opportunities contact: Sally Rushton, 20:20 Agency: sally.rushton[at]weare2020.com / m +44 (0)7947 431811 / t +44 (0)114 3072063
