Lucinda Went the ‘Ultra’ Mile for Coach Core
Lucinda Bayliss became a hero in our history books as she completed the Cape Wrath Ultra.
Can you imagine taking on 400km in the stunning but challenging Scottish Highlands? And if so, why on earth would you?
Well, Lucinda decided that Coach Core’s work was worth the challenge and kindly fundraised £1000 in doing so! She wanted a ‘proper adventure’, after having already completed around 65 marathons/ultra-marathons on marked trails and with aid stations, this would be the roughest yet. When we asked if she was sure, she said she wanted to take on something that was hard and scared her a little bit.
It was an extremely tough challenge and nearly two-thirds of participants dropped out. The ultra involved spending 88 hours moving across 8 days, up rough terrain and carrying her own resources.
'I have followed the work of Coach Core for some time and I really admire the ethos and dedication of the charity. I am a teacher and I see to some extent the impact of external factors on the lives of young people.
I feel very lucky and very privileged to have had the opportunity to be able to go on this journey.
I spent 88 hours out on the course over 8 days. It was exhausting and eating, sleeping, taping feet and organising bags each day was difficult.'
Lucinda managed to complete the challenge, despite the tricky conditions and even suffering with a painful foot that slowed her down. If she couldn’t keep up the pace, she would have been asked to step down from the race but she miraculously kept going.
The paths were described as extremely tough because every runnable section was met with a massive climb and descent. In between, paths completely disappeared and Lucinda found herself trekking through knee-deep mus, boulder fields and bogs.
She passed the finish line with a smile, despite the incredibly hard experience she went through.
Lucinds said “”Thanks for all your support and I’m so glad that people donated to your great charity.” To top off this great achievement, she won a special prize for her determination and was 1 of only 16 females to finish!
It’s not too late to donate to her challenge and get her over the £1000 mark: Donate to Lucinda’s Challenge
Every penny Lucinda has raised will contribute towards new futures and even more apprenticeships. For some, this means unlocking potential and supporting ‘future’ Lucinda’s on their paths, such as Mia.
Mia’s story is below, but in a short summary, she struggled with eating disorders, school, and didn’t feel like she fit into the world of sports as a woman. That was, until she joined Coach Core and realised how much support was on offer and what amazing things girls like her could achieve. Now she’s running her own sport sessions for women and girls in her area and is recovering from mental-health challenges.