Corby mum takes part in tough TV challenge for Comic Relief

A Corby mum took part in an arduous 100km televised challenge to raise money for Comic Relief.

Claire Law signed up for the Red Nose and Spoon Challenge to raise awareness and funds for Steps, a Loughborough charity which works with her daughter Evelyn who has special needs.

Claire, whose daughter Olivia attends Beanfield Primary School, was one of two people selected for the One Show’s Jermaine Jenas’s yellow team, competing against Alex Scott’s blue team. Each team did socially distanced circuits around an estate in the Chilterns, taking turns to balance a soft toy tomato on a spoon.

Each team incurred a five minute penalty each time the tomato was dropped and they completed tens of miles each day with elevations equivalent to completing the Three Peaks Challenge as well.

Claire, who also has a son, Oscar, said: "The challenge took place over three days and we had to camp out overnight as well. On day one we did 35km and did the elevation of Scafell Pike. Day two was 42km and the elevation of Ben Nevis and the final day was 23km and the elevation of Snowdon!

"It was scored on overall speed of walking and there was a five minute penalty every time you dropped the tomato. Our walking time was about 26 hours and 20 minutes. Blue team was about an hour-and-a-half slower than that. We dropped our nose 16 times and they dropped theirs 46 so they were convinced we were cheating!’

The teams had checkpoints along the way with one person carrying the tomato at one time.

Claire said: "When we transferred it between people we weren’t allowed to touch it and if there were obstacles we had to climb them. There was a canoe challenge on day three so we had to get into a canoe holding the tomato on a spoon, do a canoe sprint time trial and get out again without dropping the tomato! We did manage it, I am not sure how!"

Claire’s team-mate Emily was from Bristol and she was supporting the Foodshare charity while Claire was highlighting the important work of Steps.

Claire said: "They are a very small charity that do intensive physio. Evelyn started working with them in September 2019 but since lockdown the sessions have been via Zoom. She has made so much progress and the week before Christmas we had a walker delivered for Evelyn which we never thought was ever going to be an option.’

The Corby mum did training to get prepared for the challenge but found it was very physically intensive.

She added: "It was very clear when we did the marathon, we were out for 13 hours that day, so it was very long. It was so much fun. As I am a Scout leader it was everything that I love doing all rolled into one."