Eight hardcore members from CaveFit at The Edinburgh Grand will be climbing Kilimanjaro next month to raise money for the Armed Forces charity, the SSAFA.
The six men and two women from the gym based in the vaults of The Edinburgh Grand in St Andrew Square are hoping to raise £14,000 for the Armed Forces charity which provides lifelong physical and emotional support for regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families.
The members taking part span an age range from their mid-30s to their early 50s and have already started their training with a bonding session on a hike in the Scottish highlands.
Pete Oakden, the founder of CaveFit will lead the team - who is a former Royal Marine who has served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Explaining the purpose of the charity mission he said:
"I've kept in touch with former colleagues from the Marines, but it was when I saw the corporal who took me through my training back in 2000 in a wheelchair that I decided that this year we would support the Armed Forces charity.
"He had tripped during a mortar attack and is now unable to walk. The SSAFA helps him and many others and we are all glad we can help by fundraising to support their work.
"As a gym CaveFit has built up a strong community of people that actively support each other - we all work hard at our fitness and know how sport can help us achieve more than we ever knew we could.
"Climbing Kilimanjaro will be a challenge, but we are determined that the whole team will reach the summit.
The CaveFit at The Edinburgh Grand team of Dougie Dingwall, Peter Oakden (CaveFit Founder), Helen Bateson, Ian Rogers, Ruth Bradley, Richard Bradley and Andy Curry, flies out to Tanzania on 25 October. Donations can be made here .
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