Travel industry ‘athletes’ take on Island Challenge 3

LONDON:

A team of aspiring athletes from across the UK travel industry have pledged to raise a further £100,000 for children’s healthcare in the Caribbean by taking part in a gruelling ‘Island Challenge’ in Saint Lucia.

This will be the third Sandals Foundation Island Challenge led by Karl Thompson, managing director of Unique Vacations UK Ltd, which is this time taking place in Saint Lucia between Friday and Monday October 17 to 20.

Participants will have to endure four consecutive days of sea kayaking, volcano hiking, jungle trekking and long-distance running, including at least one half-marathon, all in hot and humid weather conditions. The challenge will culminate in a hike of Gros Piton, one of the island’s famous dormant volcanoes, which stands at 798 metres high.

Last year, 30 UK volunteers took part in the second Island Challenge in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This year, money raised by Thompson and the team will be used to fund essential new equipment for the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in the Paediatric Division of Saint Lucia’s Millennium Medical Complex. The unit cares for around 180 critically ill babies every year and stands as a symbol of hope for families experiencing difficult times.

The Sandals Foundation Island Challenge in Saint Lucia will involve – 12km run and 10km sea kayak; a rainforest jungle trek; a half marathon run; and the Gros Piton volcano hike.

Thompson said: “I’m so proud of what the Island Challenge team has achieved over the last two years. £200,000 is a phenomenal amount of money and it has made a huge difference to paediatric healthcare facilities in the Caribbean and to families going through extremely difficult times.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to all the participants, volunteers and donors who have supported us so far – we really couldn’t do it without you. As we gear up for our third Island Challenge in as many years, I’d love everyone to donate whatever they can to help us beat what we raised last year and make even more of an impact. The third time’s a charm, as they say!”

For Heidi Clarke, executive director of the Sandals Foundation, the annual event is an extraordinary representation of the power of the travel industry to effect real change in local communities.

She said: “The Island Challenge has been driven by the relationships and partnerships established within the travel industry and fuelled by a sheer love and commitment for wanting to do good. This event has provided hope to thousands of premature and ill babies for the past two years and we are excited about increasing those numbers through this year’s event.”

Sponsors of the Island Challenge Saint Lucia include the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, British Airways, TTG Media, Men’s Health – part of Hearst Magazines, Hays Travel, Mail Metro Media Group, Eight & Four, redpill, TripAdvisor, Accord Marketing, Threadneedle Media, The InPrint Group, Mobile Media, Air Canada Vacations and WeTransfer, with support from Sandals Halcyon Beach resort and Island Routes Adventure Tours.

For more information and also how to donate to the Sandals Foundation Island Challenge in Saint Lucia, visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/islandchallenge2025.