A GYM owner is putting his mental and physical resilience to the test in a 48-hour fundraiser for charity.

Pete Nelson, the owner of Peter Nelson Fitness, in Pickering, will run four miles, every four hours for 48 hours in aid of Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT) on March 5.

Pete said he felt inspired to support SRMRT following the incident on Kirkstone Pass, in the Lake District, which saw volunteer Chris Lewis, 60, fall 150 metres whilst trying to rescue two hikers.

He has been left with life-changing injuries.

“I initially signed up for this challenge to test my own mental strength and resilience, as so many people in public health have had to work ridiculous hours under difficult conditions,” he said.

“But I feel it’s a great opportunity to raise some money for needed voluntary groups in our area.

“The one that inspired me to do this was the SRMRT due to an incident that happen a few weeks ago in the Lake District.

“These guys have been amazing for many years but since last lockdown and this pandemic started, they’ve had to face uncertainty.

“As volunteers they could get called out whenever needed and with a stay-at-home message for months it was the accident in Patterdale that showed the true nature of their actions.

“Selfless and non-judgemental they came out to a person in distressful during the night. Sadly, a member of their team has suffered life changing injuries due to an avoidable accident.

“SRMR need our support, if it’s funding kit or training, clothing, vehicle maintenance that we can contribute towards.”

Ian Hugill, incident controller and public relations officer at SRMRT, said the team have attended 12 incidents in 2021, including flooding, icy conditions and people having accidents close to home.

“Peter is a good example of the generosity shown by the public, which we appreciate,” said Ian.

“Our fundraising events have been cancelled during 2020, with not much hope for 2021. As our income has decreased, expenditures have increased.

“It costs us approximately £45,000 per annum to keep the team operational and we receive no direct funding.

“Just about all of our income streams such as collecting tins in shops, street collections, challenge events and donations from talks have dried up.

To donate, visit https://justgiving.com/fundraising/peternelsonfitness