WHEN it comes to raising money for charity, running a marathon, cycling 110 miles or climbing three mountains offers anyone three excellent challenges to take on – but one Powys woman is taking on all three.
Emma Rees, is taking on the Great Welsh Marathon, Welsh Three Peaks and Great Brecknock Cycle, raising money for the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and Velindre Cancer Centre as part of her tenure as Brecknock Young Farmers Club county chair.
Emma, 29, who works for NFU Mutual in Builth Wells, is hoping to complete all three mammoth tasks in just four months, and has already cleared the first hurdle in her triple challenge by completing the Great Welsh Marathon on April 10, crossing the finish line in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, in a fine time of 4 hours and 4 minutes.
“It was a tough 26.2 miles but enjoyable along the Millennium Coastal Path in south Wales,” said Emma, from Llandefalle, between Builth and Brecon.
“I have always had a love for running and aimed to complete a marathon by the time I turn 30. And what better time to do it in my last year of my 20s.
“A huge thank you to my family and friends for being my biggest supporters and making sure I was able to cross the finishing line.”
Next up, Emma will be walking the three highest peaks in Wales on June 18 together with a team of family and friends. Starting with Snowdon at 5.30am, the team will then climb Cadair Idris and hope to finish atop Pen-y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons at around 7.30pm.
Finally, on July 9, Emma will be cycling around her home county and visiting each of the 12 of Brecknock Young Farmers Clubs, aiming to cover the distance pf 110 miles in under 12 hours. She’ll begin in Ystradfellte, the most southern club, and finish at her home club, Llandefalle.
Through sponsorship, Emma hopes to raise £3,000 for her chosen charities. She is being supported with a donation of £50 from the her employers’ £30,000 Community Champions Scheme, which aims to support causes close the heart of its people, by donating to staff fundraising events and initiatives.
“When I became Brecknock YFC county chair, I knew I wanted to raise money for charities by completing a challenge, but I thought one challenge wasn’t enough, so I threw another two in for luck,” added Emma.
“I think the Brecknock cycle will be the toughest, but I wanted to incorporate all the YFC clubs into one of the challenges, and that’s where the Great Brecknock Cycle was born.
“I chose to support Velindre Cancer Centre because, as with many, cancer has hit our family and we unfortunately had to use the facilities that the centre provides.
“The work that the centre continues to do is invaluable and without the support of fundraising it would be difficult to keep staff training and the equipment up to date.
“The same applies to Brecon Mountain Rescue Team. We live in the Brecon Beacons and it is important to have facilities available to us especially being in such a rural community.
“Many locals and tourists visit the Brecon Beacons each year and it’s great to have peace of mind that such a fantastic team or volunteers are able to help when in need. You never know when you will need to use the services of Velindre Cancer Centre or the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team.”
You can support both causes and Emma’s fundraising efforts by visiting her Just Giving pages. To donate to Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, visit
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-rees30 or for the Velindre Cancer Centre, click https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-rees31.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here