The IT department at Oliver Valves, composed of brothers Kevin and Gary White, along with reluctant colleague Tim Walton, will be flying the Oliver flag as they attempt to change this perception by taking on the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31st next year in aid of The Forces Children’s Trust.
The ordeal is second only to the Navy S.E.A.L.S. “Grinder” training programme and will see our digital die-hards almost certainly succumbing to hypothermia as they swim through icy mud lakes, scale electrified barbed wire obstacles and run through flaming fields.
Oliver’s IT team will have to sign a ‘death warrant’ disclaimer before facing challenges with such confidence inspiring names as Stalag Escape Razor Wire, Vietcong Tunnels of Fear and the electrifying Anaconda Sting.
“We’re training already but we’re at a slight disadvantage,” said Kevin. “We’re from Cheshire, which is flat by nature so we really need to get used to competing on hills, ideally hills that are on fire.
“Gary and I are seasoned triathlon athletes so we are used to competition, although this time instead of a cycling event there is an assault course submerged beneath a rancid freezing lake. Really, it’s the probability of contracting Weil’s disease that concerns me more than the hypothermia” said Kevin.
“I’ve got a tyre from a scrap yard so I’m going to start training by dragging that behind me,” said Gary.
“But we don’t need to be able to do that for the race, do we?” said Kevin. “You should practice swimming through it.”
The third member of the Oliver Valves IT team, Tim Walton, issued a statement on Friday before leaving for a holiday in Egypt. In it Tim said simply; “I’m not doing it.”
“We have every faith in our IT department making us proud and getting through the Tough Guy challenge in one piece,” said HR Manager, Sharon Inch, “however if anybody has a strong IT background we might be inviting CVs early next year.”
Posted in: Tough Guy Callenge
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By Animal, November 4, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
Just seen the ESPN footage of the event in 2007. They say you have to be slightly mad to work in IT. Well I think you guys have proved it. You are either absolutely bonkers or very brave. Actually I have just thought of another one… completely insane!!
Seriously - good luck guys - look forward to the report - if you are still alive!
By Kevin White, February 15, 2010 @ 10:58 am
Well, those of you who thought we were mad, you were spot-on. It was horrific. We knew it would be bad when the hail starting to come down, and that was just on the way there… Gary finished with border line hypothermia. Tim and I were shivering so much at the end that we were unable to hold a cup of tea, let alone drink it.
Whoever invented the Vietcong Tunnels, or thought that walking the plank to fall 20 foot into a lake full of broken ice was a good idea, is a proper sadist and needs to see a psychiatrist. There is so much more than that, that was awful, from seeing people crying on top of one of the climbing frames from the cold, to seeing two people fall 4 metres backwards off one of the climbing walls. Luckily, there was a field hospital in the middle of the course….
As for the underwater tunnels - putting your head under iced water was one of the most painful things I’ve ever done.
BBC have just put some photos up on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8490812.stm
A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored us, and we are very happy that we completed it in one piece and met our fundraising target. We won’t be returning next year though. Never, never again.
Tough Guys Kevin, Gary and Tim.