11:40 am, June 28, 2019
THREE automotive industry leaders are just a few days away from taking part in an epic fundraising challenge.
This time next week, Darren Guiver, managing director of Group 1 Automotive; Tim Tozer, CEO of Allianz Partners UK & Ireland; and Jon Wakefield, who heads up Volvo’s Swedish national sales company, will be water-cycling the River Thames from its source to London.
Their efforts will all be in aid of the automotive industry charity Ben. The challenge, starting at Thames Head in Gloucestershire and ending at the Thames Barrier in London, will be a huge test of physical and mental stamina.
The three leaders will clock up a total of 171 miles in the saddle and will be completing more than 10 hours of water-cycling per day from July 4-7.
So far, over £170,000 has been raised. This amount is growing continually, and Jon, Tim and Darren are on track to reach the fundraising target of £300,000.
Jon Wakefield said: ‘We can’t wait to get going now! It’s going to be really tough but worth every minute in the saddle. As daunting as it is, we’re really looking forward to it. If you can, come along and cheer us on. Any further donations are very welcome – your support is going to spur us on. It’s all for a very worthy cause.’
Darren Guiver, managing director, Group 1 Automotive, said: ‘We’re very nearly there now and I’m looking forward to getting in the saddle and on the water. We’ve been training hard and we feel ready.’
Tim Tozer, CEO of Allianz Partners UK and Ireland, said: ‘We’re really excited about tackling this challenge in a week’s time.
‘We’re prepped and ready to go. Your support has been a big motivator for us, so thank you. We hope you’ll be following our journey, indeed we’d love to see you wave us on from the riverbank!’
Matt Wigginton, business development director at Ben, said: ‘We can’t wait to follow the guys on their journey.
‘Each day starts at 8am and finishes at 9pm or later, so they are going to be completely exhausted. We wish Darren, Tim, and Jon all the best on their journey, you guys are awesome.’
If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
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