Putney resident Alice McWilliam, who works as an Sportspeople Manager at Sportskred, has been training hard for races since January, around 18 per week. However, due to the current situation with COVID-19, and with Ride London being cancelled, Alice thought setting her own challenge would not only put her training to the test, it would also be a great opportunity to raise funds for our charity.
Alice said “I’m really excited to be undertaking my cycling challenge in support of the fantastic charity, Sporting Wellness, who promote positive mental health in young sportspeople. A lot of my friends compete in high performance sport, and I very much know from personal experience, friends and in the job I do, that sport is not just a physical battle, it’s a mental battle too. And what with COVID-19 and the lack of structure, training, competition and seeing friends, a lot of young sportspeople have come unstuck, we need to be able to help our up and coming talent by supporting them to develop greater mental strength, as much as their physical strength. I’m aiming to raise at least £700, which will go towards enabling Sporting Wellness to continue providing young sportspeople with much needed specialist mental health support.”
Alice aims to cycle her 24 hours, starting at 12 noon and finishing 24 hours later, around Richmond park over the weekend of 5th and 6th September.
At a time when Sporting Wellness continues to see a significant increase in sportspeople reaching out for mental health support, now more than ever, fundraising such as Alice’s is a crucial part of the charities future.
Callum, our 20 year old founder said “What Alice is doing for us is an incredibly tough challenge, both mentally and physically, so the more support Alice has will be fantastic and very much welcomed. Alice’s fundraising will be a brilliant start to our First Anniversary Fundraising Campaign, where we are aiming to raise £10,000 by our First Anniversary, which is on 26th November 2020, to enable us to continue supporting young sportspeople. It’s a fact that those with existing mental health conditions are struggling more than usual, while many who have never experienced mental health issues before are experiencing anxieties for the first time. We know this from the sharp rise in calls for support that we have received from young sportspeople over the Spring and Summer.”
To support Alice in her fundraising and to make a donation, please go to:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alice-mcwilliam
We wish Alice the very best of luck!