Major figures in English football and cricket have backed the Hockey for Heroes’ latest challenge ahead of their epic nine-day journey starting this weekend.
England football coach Gareth Southgate called it an “incredible challenge” as Hockey for Heroes aim to raise £100,000 for its community partner Help for Heroes.
Rob Key, English cricket’s director of men’s cricket who used to play hockey, added: “That looks like an incredibly tough challenge. 54 games of hockey? I dread to think what I would feel after one game.
“This is a seriously good cause that you are doing it for and I hope you get to the £100,000 you are looking to make.”
GB men stars Zach Wallace and Jacob Draper, as well as coach Paul Revington have all backed the cause.
Sportsmen and women will play 54 games of hockey and 457 kilometres of endurance challenges between May 26 and June 3.
The nine-day tour will see squads compete against clubs in eight locations, starting in Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire and finishing in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
The squads will also take on various endurance and military challenges over 457 kilometres, which will include rowing, swimming, running a half marathon, a weighted speed march and a stretcher-carry march.
The 457 figure has been chosen to recognise the 457 British service personnel killed during the war in Afghanistan, in acknowledgement of their ultimate sacrifice.
The objective is to allocate each kilometre to every individual fallen hero from this conflict in remembrance.
A global leader in total talent management, Guidant Global, was recently revealed as head tour sponsor for ‘Operation Last Post’.
