A Lanarkshire teen is preparing for the race of a lifetime in the University of the West of Scotland’s environmental chamber.
Harvey Mitchell-Divers is about to attempt the world’s highest trail run – a challenging 3.5km hike with 1000 metres of vertical climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The 17-year-old is taking part in the Uhuru Peak Challenge to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his football coach Dougie Craggs, who he was close to as a player for East Kilbride Rolls-Royce 2005 team.
On his JustGiving page, Harvey said: “Every step of [the challenge] is going to be painful but nothing like the pain that Dougie had to endure over the 10 years he fought brain cancer.”
After he reaches the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Harvey will then run either the half marathon or full marathon back down the mountain.
Harvey is no stranger to tough challenges – he recently won his age group category in the World Spartan Championships in Abu Dhabi.
To help him train and acclimatise to the conditions he will face on Mount Kilimanjaro, Harvey has been using the university’s state-of-the-art environmental chamber.
One of only two in Scotland and the only one in the West of Scotland, the chamber replicates environmental extremes - from walking in the desert to standing on one of the world’s highest mountains - and can be used by individuals to improve physical performance in the run up to events like this one.
Putting Harvey through his paces is Chris Easton, who is a Professor of Exercise Physiology and the Head of Sport & Exercise at UWS.
He said: “Harvey is an inspirational young lad and it has been fantastic to work with him this week to help him prepare.
"He is about to undertake a massive physiological challenge, using the chamber has meant we’ve been able to get him running in the same conditions he will face on Mount Kilimanjaro to help him acclimatise to the environment.
“We have been working on a range of techniques to ensure he’s as ready as he can be to take on the challenge.
"For someone so young to be so determined is really inspiring, particularly as he’s still at school, juggling lots of different pressures, such as exams. I and the whole team at UWS are behind him and look forward to seeing how he gets on.”
Harvey leaves for the gruelling trek next Wednesday, July 6.
He said: “I am extremely looking forward to the opportunity of a lifetime with my attempt at the world’s highest V1000, and half marathon race at Kilimanjaro.
"Without Chris and the team at UWS, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as prepared for this trip without the sessions in the altitude chamber. They have been an enormous help.”
Harvey will be taking part in more challenges like these in the future and is keen to use UWS’s facilities to help him train again.
He has had such a positive experience of working with Chris and the team at UWS that he is also considering applying to study the Sports & Exercise Science course on offer at the University.
Donations to Chris' cause can be made here.
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