U3A, Pea & Pie Supper and Peaks Walk: 

Only the other week the Lost Penguins were starting to feel the pressure of the challenge they had set themselves.  Tempers were on the brink, there were sweaty anxious nights, self doubt was starting to creep in and for good reason… They were about stand up and present to a cast of hundreds on the subjects dear to them… that’s The Polar Challenge and WaterAid.

There were two events organised by Shelagh Woolliscroft.  The first was a lunch time presentation to 140 members of the U3A (University of the 3rd Age) at the Sheffield Park Hotel, Dronfield.  The second was a Pea & Pie supper to 70 local friends and family.  You’d struggle to say it was to their real benefit however they seemed to enjoy Rich’s nervous mind blanks, MC Connie belting it out at 500 words a minute and Mike’s wit mainly centred on near pornographic outtakes from a recent fancy dress party.  However crucially, thanks to the generosity of these people the Lost Penguins were fortunate enough to raise in excess of £1000 for WaterAid!

Needless to say after coming all this way the Lost Penguins were keen to maximise their time and also took the opportunity to train in the Peaks.  Following a number of weeks beating the same stretch of the Thames Path with a monotony drawing close to obsession it was a refreshing change.  Arguably the Penguins got slightly carried away with the novelty of approaching gradient, blind bends and the numerous rocks ahead of them and before long were hell bent on trying to beat each other in who can be fastest, jump highest, run up the highest vertical wall etc…  Needless to say it didn’t take long before they were soundly lost, Lost Penguins.  Fortunately the superb navigation skills from previous training sessions quickly put them back on track.  Less fortunately it was now clear they were nackered.  However it was a great session and saw them back in Edale by mid afternoon with time for a coffee at Mike’s sisters where Mike got a further workout playing with his niece and nephew before they hit the local pub to enjoy a well earned pint of Stones.
 

The Peak District is a great training ground!

More followed on the Sunday before rounding off a successful weekend with a rare but clear run from Sheffield to London in just 3 hours.  The Penguins now giddy with their success have even considered post race presentation plans.  This experience will show them that even the crudest of presentations can’t quell the enthusiasm and generosity of the people when it comes to this challenge and charity.