GM of Apex Temple Court to undertake Ironman Lanzarote to help Nepal
London hotelier Karl Mitchell is undertaking final preparations for the punishing Ironman Lanzarote, which he is undertaking in aid of victims of the Nepal earthquake.
Mitchell, general manager of the four-AA-star, 184-bedroom Apex Temple Court hotel, will fly to the Spanish island on Saturday to allow himself a week to acclimatise to temperatures of around 30°C ahead of the triathlon race on 23 May.
It will be the first triathlon for Mitchell, who has been training up to 15 hours a week over the past 20 weeks. "The whole race is going to be very challenging," he said. "I am a runner predominantly so I think the cycle - involving mountain climbs to over 2,500m - will be the hardest part. With the Lanzarote winds and the heat it is going to particularly gruelling!"
At the time of writing, Mitchell has raised nearly £1,900 of his £2,500 target for Children of the Mountain, a charity he was introduced to following his involvement in last year's fund-raising trek in Nepal for Springboard. Having been so moved by the experience of helping a village close to Kathmandu build new classrooms for their school during their stay, Mitchell and his fellow 21 trekkers set up the Nepal14 group to continue supporting the community on an ongoing basis.
A link was set up with Children of the Mountain, a charity supporting the poorest children in rural Nepal by providing them with opportunities through education and personal development.
With the death of 13 people in the village and severe damage to several classrooms in the recent earthquake, support for Children of the Mountain is now needed more than ever. Thankfully, the classroom block completed by the Nepal14 trekkers remains intact and is being used for shelter for villagers whose home were destroyed in the disaster.
"I would like to raise as much money as possible to help those affected - so I appeal to you all to help donate to a village and country in need," said Mitchell.
To contribute to Mitchell's fund-raising efforts, visit: www.justgiving.com/Karl-MitchellNepalAid2015/
Image courtesy of Craig Prentice.
Caterer and Hotelkeeper hotels editor joins Springboard Charity trek in Nepal >>