A klaxon sounds across a densely packed starting paddock. Runners and hikers alike huddle together and listen for instructions. Each of them bears a paper bib about their person, showcasing their unique participant number. An overcast sky locks the sweltering July heat to the rolling hills and luscious fields of the Derbyshire Dales.
The Peak District Ultra Challenge begins.
A fundraising hike for Dementia UK
The Peak District Ultra Challenge is an annual event hosted around Bakewell in the Derbyshire Dales. It a well-regarded and meticulously organised event, home to multiple distances and formats that lend themselves to any level of challenge. It is also, crucially, an event perfectly suited to charity fundraising efforts.
Pabla & Pabla Solicitors was founded almost 24 years ago by siblings Hari Pabla and Kiran Pabla. Alongside their many siblings, they experienced firsthand how devastating of an illness Dementia can be, with their mother struggling with it during the later years of her life. The disease impacts memory, thinking, behaviour, and the ability to carry out even the simplest daily tasks – gradually taking away independence and a sense of self.
In her memory, it only seemed right to fundraise for Dementia UK. A Pabla team was assembled consisting of Hari, his sister Sue, her partner Seamus, and our very own Practice Manager Sean Radford and Head of Marketing James Bosson.
The route itself was wonderful, weaving it’s way across some of the rolling countryside that makes rural Derbyshire so distinctly breathtaking. Breathtaking too were some of the longer inclines of the route, where many struggled in the close July humidity.
It seemed a fitting tribute to Hari and Sue’s late mother, and the team were encouraged by the many other competitors present on the day. Almost everyone had a cause close to their hearts that had brought them to participate – a comforting thought when you find yourself sweating and frantically hyperventilating on your third relentless incline walk of the day.
We’re incredibly proud of the team for completing the challenge and raising so much money for charity. At the time of writing, they are still accepting donations for this incredibly worthy cause! All donations, no matter how small, go a long way. You can donate by clicking this link.
