A team made up of colleagues from Ashby Leisure Centre and Lido and Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge earlier this month to raise vital funds for Dementia UK.

The seven-strong team of Adam Knight, Andy Clayfield, Olivia Garratt, Joe Cayless, Martin Oxford, Jordan Nagra and Tom Bodle set themselves the challenge to complete the 24-mile route within 12 hours and finished in 10 hours and 40 minutes, raising around £900 for the charity.

The team, whose ages range from 22 to 65 years, are all employed by Everyone Active, the company which operates the leisure centres in partnership with North West Leicestershire District Council.

They started the 24-mile route, which takes in Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen y Ghent at 5.30am and finished at 4.10pm.

The team undertook the challenge as part of Everyone Active's national goal to raise £50,000 for Dementia UK, whilst increasing understanding about the condition and the importance of keeping active in its prevention.

In preparation for the event, the team had been training individually and in small groups, in the gyms on the steppers and treadmills, using weighted backpacks to build endurance and strength.

They also completed a 22-mile hike in the Peak District a fortnight before the final challenge, calculating if they logged a mile every 25 minutes then sub 12 hours on the Yorkshire Three Peaks was possible.

During the hike the team worked together as a single group, helping each other up the tough ascents and tricky downhills, scheduling in three stops of around 15 minutes each to allow for the chance to eat and recuperate before pushing on.

The weather on the day was fair but overcast, and the group encountered a couple of showers at the top of the peaks. In the previous week there had been a lot of rain making it wet underfoot and slippery. In some parts the rocks had water running off.

Adam Knight, Everyone Active's general manager, said: "This was one of the hardest challenges I have ever done. The terrain was so tough and took its toll on my body, with the last few hours making my legs and ankles really sore and painful.

"As team we stuck together and helped each other through it. We are all so pleased and proud we completed it and raised money for such an amazing charity. We are already discussing a few ideas for the next challenge!"

It is still possible to support the team on their JustGiving page for Dementia UK HERE.