In order to raise money for the charity “Kids Company”, a total number of twelve Andrew Winch Designs team members said goodbye to the comforts of home and embarked on a two-day Arctic Biathlon on November 30.
Flying via Stockholm to Kiruna – Sweden’s northern most city and 145 km north of the Arctic Circle, the 12 intrepid adventurers transferred straight to Base Camp where they braced themselves against the harsh -34°C temperatures, harnessed their huskies, and sled 25km to a more remote camp to prepare for their first day of challenges.
On the first day of competitions, the teams once again harnessed their dogs and competed against one another in time trials over a gruelling 47km circuit! With only 5hrs of light a day much of the biathlon was undertaken in darkness, which only added to the challenge!
Day two saw the adventurers, waking sore from the previous day’s race and to temperatures of -8°C inside the cabin! Embarking on a brief introduction to the skills needed for ‘Cross Country Skiing’ they then set out on a punishing 25km race. You will be delighted to hear that of the six competing teams, the winner was the Andrew Winch Designs team “MY Sub Zero”, who took 4hrs 14mins to complete the arduous course – beating the average course completion time by 45 minutes!
On behalf of the entire team, Andrew Winch Designs would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who supported its challenge. Through their generosity, the studio raised £33,000 for the charity “Kids Company”. Donations will go towards providing the support and care the charity will give to 3,500 vulnerable children on Christmas Day, as well as a further 4,000 children assisted through their outreach programmes over the festive period.