Derbyshire man conquers Everest stairmaster challenge for Ashgate Hospice

Tom Rowland climbed over 58,000 steps – a height of 8,849 meters or 29,032 feet, all in the aid of Ashgate Hospice.

The challenge took Tom just over thirteen hours; four hours quicker than his original target.

As a gym goer and regular walker – already having tackled mount Snowden and Ben Nevis – Tom still had to do a great deal of prep for the challenge.

He said: “I didn’t suppose that any of that could really prepare me for the challenge on the day because of the endurance and duration of the challenge itself.”

Tom put together his own training routine, consisting of doing short sprints on the stairmaster alongside longer durations, lasting six to eight hours at a time. He described this prep as vital.

Tom said: “I think that if I hadn’t done that and put myself in a position where, just from a mentality point of view knowing that I had previously done eight hours and conquered that, I wouldn't have been able to push myself on the day.”

After struggling to find a venue where he would be able to take on this challenge, Tom contacted S20 health and fitness in Sheffield, who were happy to provide their premises.

Tom gave a massive thank you to S20, calling them “nothing but helpful.”

He said: “They really showed that they wanted me to do it there and they really gave me a good buzz. Since the challenge I have been training there full time as a result of how they looked after me.”

Tom was supported in this challenge by both friends and family, some of which came down to the gym to cheer him on.

The money raised off of the back of this challenge will be going to Ashgate Hospice. The charity is very close to Tom’s heart, after they offered him and his family bereavement support after the sad passing of his mother, Vivienne Rowland in October 2016.

Tom said: “Ashgate Hospice were amazing with my Dad, Grandad, and myself in the aftermath, offering fantastic bereavement support. It is important to me that they can carry on to be able to do this for other families that will be experiencing the same trauma that our family did seven years ago.”

Through his Just Giving page, Tom has so far raised around £4,700, with in-person donations made at the gym still to be added to that total. He is hoping to break £5,000, 10 times more than his original target when he announced he would be doing this challenge.

For those that wish to donate, Tom is still accepting donations on his Just Giving page which he plans to keep open until Christmas.

Tom said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the support I’ve received and I’d just like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported me and donated to such a fantastic cause.”