Friends to tackle second ultramarathon in support of specialist college

Two friends will push themselves to the absolute limit when they take on a second ultramarathon to raise funds for a specialist college that educates and cares for students with communication needs.
 
Last autumn, Alex Jamison, from Doncaster, and Bastiaan Buijtenhuijs, from Manchester, took on the Ultra X 50 England event in the Peak District to raise money for Communication Specialist College Doncaster (CSCD), the funds used to purchase a Taurus Elite Ultimate HIIT Cardio Package.
 
This Easter, Alex and Bas will test their endurance again when they tackle the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool Ultra 50, which takes place on Good Friday, April 18. The race starts at the Imperial War Museum North and follows the Trans-Pennine Trail, the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey.
 
Once more, the money raised will go towards buying gym equipment for the CSCD, which is managed by registered charity Doncaster Deaf Trust.
 
Alex and Bas chose CSCD to raise money for after Alex’s wife, Tracey Jamison, who is acting principal at the college, ran the last three miles of a London Half Marathon when Alex couldn’t finish and had to be treated in an ambulance.
 
Alex said: “Bas and I had such a fantastic experience taking part in the Peak District race, it was clear quite soon afterwards that we wanted to take on another challenge together. The Manchester to Liverpool Ultra 50 is an ideal step up for us, it has a 14-hour cut-off time to complete, and it’s ideal for both seasoned ultra-runners and relative beginners. After the awful weather we had for the Peak District race, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for better weather this time around!”
 
CSCD educates, trains, and cares for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, autistic, or who have other communication needs. Students attending the college, which is based in Leger Way, have a diverse range of needs, from those with severe learning disabilities, who need one-to-one support, to those who can access a full curriculum independently.
 
Bas is head of product for iQ HealthTech. He said: “We have been training hard and feel like we’re where we need to be in our preparations for the race on Good Friday. We really appreciate the support from everyone who has donated towards our fundraising drive – the work the college does with its students is superb and we want to raise as much as we can to help buy additional gym equipment.”
 
You can support the friends’ fundraising effort by donating via: Alex and Bas take on the Manchester to Liverpool Ultra 50 for CSCD - JustGiving
 
Tracey said: “It was lovely of Alex and Bas to run one ultramarathon in support of the college – they are clearly going above and beyond by running two! The equipment we purchased after their first race has done so much to help the health and wellbeing of our students, improving their confidence and readying them to go out into the workplace. It will be a huge boost for us to be able to invest in more modern gym equipment with the funds raised by Alex and Bas’s next challenge.”
 
For more information about Communication Specialist College Doncaster, visit: www.deaf-trust.co.uk/