A once in a lifetime adventure sledding across the Arctic Circle saw two MEA staff raise more than £2,000 for The Children’s Centre.
HR Administrator Helen Callow and IT Technician Rod Kaye were part of a 10-strong team that covered 250km of the Arctic in just six days, using huskies to travel from Tromso in Norway into Sweden, through the rolling highlands and deep forests of Lapland, to finish at the famous Ice Hotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi.
Helen and Rod, who funded the trip themselves, each led a team of huskies.
‘It was by far the hardest, most amazing and most emotional thing I have ever attempted and sincere thanks to everyone who supported us,’ said Helen, 33. ‘The dogs were outstanding and it was very emotional having to give them back – I would have happily kept and taken home all of my team!
‘The challenge was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am extremely proud of myself and the rest of the team. It’s hard to put into words how difficult the challenge was, both physically and mentally. We camped in very extreme temperatures and it was difficult to get warm in wet tents and sleeping bags. The camp duties each morning and night were physically demanding and there wasn’t a spare minute to relax all week. We were also responsible for looking after our own team of dogs and trying to get them through knee high snow in the mornings to the sleds when they are raring to go was a challenge in itself.
‘When we crossed the finish I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere. The dog sledding itself was fabulous, but it isn’t as easy as it looks and some of the terrain was really challenging. I will never forget this experience and it has brought home to me the importance of team work – without the other guys and the fantastic guides, I wouldn’t have got through it. I made some true friends from this trip and the eerie howls from the huskies as dark fell over the Arctic will stay with me forever.’
Rod, 52, said: ‘We knew at the onset that the challenge was going to be hard, and it really proved to be physically demanding. We had up to eight hours of sledding a day without a break, all food and water was consumed on the go, or grabbed if someone needed assistance with the sled. The terrain was difficult and quite technical which led to many falls. The long days were followed by hard graft, tending to the dogs and setting up camp. Even just walking around the camp in knee-deep snow was energy sapping, and there was no opportunity to put your feet up and relax at the end of the day. By eight o’clock all you wanted to do was get into your sleeping bag, try and get warm and get some sleep.
‘But the rewards were immense. The dogs were brilliant to work with, the wilderness spectacular and the teamwork developed over the expedition was great. The feeling of achievement at the end was tremendous. The relationship you build with your team of dogs becomes stronger as the week goes past; each have got their own personality but all have one desire and that is to run and run. It was quite difficult to say goodbye at the end of the trip, and for some very emotional.’
Mark Eastham, Fundraising Coordinator for The Children’s Centre, said: ‘We’d like to say a massive thank you to the whole team who signed up for our Arctic Sledding challenge, not only for braving the freezing cold Arctic conditions, but also for raising much needed funds for The Childrens Centre. In total the trip raised the amazing amount of £14,115, money that will go directly to supporting children, young people and families across the Island.’
