EPIC Challenges has launched its biggest and most inclusive community event to date, the First Central Group EPIC Week.

The idea of the week-long event is for islanders to take on their own EPIC challenge by doing something they haven’t done before, however big or small.

The event, which will take place on Monday 10^th - 16^th July 2017, has been organised by local endurance athletes Philip Smith and Warren Mauger, with the help of First Central Group. 

The event’s aim is to raise money for Guernsey Mind and This Is EPIC, whilst inspiring people of all ages to become more active and take on new challenges.

EPIC Challenges has created a selection of swimming, cycling, running and triathlon distances as an example of the different activities individuals or teams can take part during the seven-day event. Those who are participating can register online, select their challenge and then personalise their activity to suit their fitness level or interest, encouraging them to push themselves harder than ever before.

First Central Group is not only the headline sponsor of the event but employees from the FinTech company have also set themselves a goal. The target is for a team of employees to complete a two-mile run every day of the week-long event. Employees will be buddying up and training together throughout the weeks leading up to the event and hope they can encourage other businesses to do the same.

The organisers have already encouraged a number of primary schools to take part in their own mini five-day challenges and hope they can inspire more school children to get active.
 
Philip Smith said: “This year we wanted to hold an event with the focus primarily on community involvement. We are very grateful for Guernsey’s support with the different challenges we have set ourselves over the past few years. This year, we want people to feel the same thrill we have feltfrom pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones, all with the purpose of helping others.”

Warren Mauger added: “The beauty of this event is that it is open to any age and any ability. It doesn’t matter if you walk a mile a day for a week, swim one length or cycle for 15 minutes or do something that takes all day. It is about creating an individual challenge for everyone; I can’t wait to see who gets involved from children to those who are more mature.

“For us, it’s not just about exercise or being active, it’s about using our challenges as a vehicle to help change as many lives as possible. We have simple objectives: to inspire, to engage the community, educate young people and raise awareness and funds for charities in need.” 

The duo has raised over £80,000 since their first event three years ago – seven marathons in seven days.

Guernsey Mind is one of the charities that will benefit from the First Central Group EPIC Week. It will use the funds raised to invest into a community project to provide support services for mental health of adults with Autism and Asperger’s. Meanwhile, This Is EPIC will be implementing a new project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and creating 10 new savings and loans groups that will impact more than 2,000 people.

First Central Group Operations Manager, Lisa Vidamour, said: “We are so excited to be supporting the latest of the EPIC Challenges events. This event not only raises money for Guernsey Mind and the amazing This Is EPIC projects, but inspires many Guernsey folk to take on personal challenges that they perhaps would not have otherwise considered.  At First Central Group, we like to think outside the box and not be confined by convention or the norm – it is this aspect of the way EPIC Challenges raises money and encourages people to get active that we find inspiring.”

To sign up for your EPIC Challenge, please go to the EPIC Challenges’ website.