Gurkhas offer students top tips to take on Trailwalker

Troops from York based 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron visited students at York St John University this week to help them prepare for Trailwalker 2013.

For the tenth year running, a group of students from York St John will be raising money for OXFAM and the Gurkha Welfare Trust by taking on the almighty challenge of Trailwalker with senior lecturer in the University’s faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mark Sullivan.

Trailwalker was originally started by the Queen's Gurkha Signals Regiment over 30 years ago as a training exercise to test soldiers' stamina and teamwork skills. Trailwalker 2013 takes place on 27 and 28 July and involves teams of four completing a 100km route across the South Downs in under 30 hours.

Soldiers from 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron, including Bharat Mani who is responsible for training the Gurkha troops for Trailwalker, shared their experiences of the challenge and offered the University students some advice on training.

This is the tenth year that Mark Sullivan has accompanied students on the challenge for the University, he said: “We are very grateful to 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron for taking the time to meet with our students. Bharat Mani and the troops were a real inspiration, I’m sure everyone has learned something today and we’re all looking forward to taking on the challenge. Completing Trailwalker is a huge achievement. Students from past years have really benefited from all the training and teamwork that’s required to get to the finish and I’m sure the four teams taking part this year will be just as successful.”

Over the past ten years, students from the University have raised a minimum of £41,500 for the two charities OXFAM and the Gurkha Welfare Trust. This year each of the 15 students is required to raise at least £375 in sponsorship. Anyone wishing to help the students reach their target can contact Mark Sullivan E: m.sullivan@yorksj.ac.uk, all donations are very welcome.