Fitness group take on fundraising challenge

Personal trainers Andrew Hosker, front left, and Carol Gorner, front right, with members of Train Insane, who are doing a trek up Snowdon to raise funds for a defibrilator for the group and other sports group who use the grounds of R.L.Hughes Primary School fields.

Ranging from ages 16 to 60, Train Insane will set off on a treacherous journey up Mount Snowdon this weekend.

They aim to raise £1,000 to help fund a portable defibrillator to help create a safe exercise environment at their Ashton gym.

Trainer Andrew Hosker said: “Going up Snowdon is on a lot of people’s bucket lists and after recent events involving the likes of Christian Eriksen, we decided it was essential for us to have this piece of equipment to take with us wherever we train.

“Within the group, there is varied levels of fitness but we all work so hard that we are confident that we can smash the challenge.”

The group usually train at RL Hughes primary school, where there is a defibrillator on site but because the school is closed in any evening, they have no access to it if it was ever needed.

A young sports team also trains at the same time as train insane and the defibrillator can help benefit both sets of people.

Andrew added: “Because of the different settings on the defibrillator for use on adults and children, god forbid if something were to happen, if the youth team ever needed to use it, then they would also have access to it.”

A defibrillator gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

You don’t need to be trained to use it, anyone can use one as the machines themselves can give you instructions.

“Sometimes it can be difficult to see if a patient is breathing, you can’t always see if their chest rising.

“If you place the pads of the defib onto someone's chest, it can detect whether or not the shock needs to be administered.”

If administered within a minute of a person collapsing, there can be a up to 90 per cent survival rate and if used between three and five minutes it can be as high as 74 per cent.

“Defibs are incredibly important and can have a massive impact for someone surviving a cardiac arrest.

“Equipment like this is essential and it should be mandatory for any team in a sporting organisation to carry a defib with them wherever they go.”

Andrew believes the government should do more to help groups have access to a defibrillator.

The group don’t have a set time they want to complete the trek in but believe the camaraderie will help pull them through if things get tough.

“I’ve told everyone as long as you get to the top, I don’t care how long it takes you.

“Its not like anywhere I’ve ever trained before, it is such a tight knit group.

“Everyone helps each other, which makes it easier for me to train them.

“It is so different to going to a gym class and then going home and not speaking to anybody, its more than that.

“I’ll probably have to tell them all to shut up they’ll be talking that much. I’ll have to take some ear plugs!”

The trek takes place on Sunday September 19 and readers can donate to the cause by clicking here.

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