Taking on mammoth mountainchallenge

THREE local lads were moved to take on the challenge of a lifetime after hearing of little Katie McKnight's cancer battle.

Brothers Crissy and John Frazer, and Sam Smith from Rathfriland have joined forces with Dungannon man Andrew Armstrong to take on the mammoth mountain-climbing “Five Peaks Challenge” this Thursday.

The group, who met through their involvement with Ardaragh Free Presbyterian Church, plan to climb the five highest peaks in the UK and Ireland within 48 hours - and raise a lot of money for the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children while they’re at it.

Beginning with a flight to Glasgow early on Thursday, the boys will climb Ben Nevis when the clock chimes 3pm, before driving to the Lake District to climb Scaffel Pike, and jumping in the car again to climb Mount Snowdon in Wales.

By early evening on Friday the climbers will fly from Liverpool to Belfast City, from where they will drive to Slieve Donard and then on to Carrauntoohil in County Kerry by 3pm on Saturday.

John told the Leader the boys, who are hoping to raise somewhere in the region of 2,500, are looking forward to the challenge.

“We’ve done a fair bit of training since we decided to take on the challenge before Christmas,” he said.

“I think we’re all fairly fit and we have a good itinerary whereby we can take it in turns to drive so others can get some rest along the way.”

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Since three-year-old Katie’s diagnosis the community in Rathfriland have rallied round in support of the McKnight family, organising fundraising events including quizzes and charity breakfasts.

This latest expedition is the biggest event yet and the group’s facebook page already has more than 200 fans supporting the cause.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Haemotology Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital can do so using the Paypal account on the “5 Peaks Challenge” Facebook page.

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