Charity climbers beat the elements

By rbridge

A TEAM of five fighting fit Walsall women beat the conditions to raise a knock-out sum for a charity close to their hearts.

Walsall Women's Boxing Club members Sarah Holmes, Claire Brookhouse, Emma O'Keefe, Donna Goode and Sally Taylor set themselves a mission of climbing Mount Snowdon – and the sponsorship money will all be donated to the Kidneys for Kids charity.

One of the boxing club's younger users, Mitch Holmes, aged 11, has battled kidney problems for many years and continues to receive treatment.

Mrs O'Keefe, said: "We decided we wanted to climb the mountain, as we're always looking for challenges to keep ourselves fit.

"But then we decided to do it for Mitch and it kind of binds everybody into it together then."

However, the boxers picked a wash-out weekend of bad weather at the start of June for their trip, when eight people went missing from the Welsh mountain.

But the intrepid team ploughed on.

Mrs O'Keefe added: "Sky News were up there reporting on it, it was that bad.

"We were silent on the way up there as the wind and rain was coming down.

"But it was much more fun on the way down and we did it in four and a half hours which was quite a good time."

Collectively through sponsorship for the event the group raised £1,200 for Kidneys for Kids.