A CARDIFF teaching assistant plans to climb Pen Y Fan mountain 10 times in 24 hours to raise money for sport provision in his primary school.
Luke Jenkins, 25, aims to raise at least £500 to offer a wider range of sports to the 342 pupils at Llanedeyrn Primary School.
Mr Jenkins said: “I’m hoping to get as many people there as possible at the start and at the end.
“I’ve already got the head teacher to agree to do some of it with me, as well as a handful of teachers and other members of staff.”
The hikes will start at about 1pm on Saturday, May 7. Mr Jenkins thinks the challenge will take about 20 hours so he will be walking overnight. He hopes to be cheered on by supporters as he finishes his last trek on Sunday morning.
Pen Y Fan is in the Brecon Beacons mountain range and at 886 metres, is south Wales’s highest mountain.
Mr Jenkins beieves sport is a key aspect of education. He wants teach younger children the values and fundamental skills of sport.
With the money raised, he wants to introduce a wider range of sports to the school. Sports suggested include volleyball, badminton and table tennis.
Mr Jenkins chairs Activ8, the school’s own sports council, which seeks improve sporting opportunities and provision.
The Rhondda resident has worked for three years at the school’s Special Resource Base, which caters for pupils with learning disabilities.
In his time there, staff have completed the Three Peaks Challenge and the Dell Corporate Challenge, and climbed Pen Y Fan with students and parents as part of a school trip.
Mr Jenkins estimates that each climb will take two hours. He is already in training for the 10km St David’s Day Run on February 28. He is running five times a week to build fitness, but will start weights training before the Ten Y Fan challenge to improve strength and endurance.
To donate to the cause or find out more click here.
