Even with more than 20 years military experience under his belt Heywood’s Mick Stott admitted that battling against Olympians in the mountains of Snowdonia was no easy test.
The Assystems operations manager (pictured above, second from left) led his colleagues against 61 other teams from around the country in the 25th anniversary edition of the UK Challenge.
The nation’s leading corporate team building event pits teams against each other in gruelling physical and mental tasks over the course of three days in a bid to raise money for charity and be crowned UK Challenge champions.
This year’s event saw contestants thrown in at the deep end and flung straight into a night run followed by canoeing and mountain biking all intertwined with intellectual puzzles.
And, if that wasn’t enough, the teams had to lock horns with retired marathon runner Mara Yamauchi and judoka Sophie Cox who were representing the event’s official charity partner – the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.
And Mick admitted that, even with a military background, the event was still a significant challenge and presented a unique bonding opportunity.
“This is our first time and it was really good fun. There were some tough moments and some really amusing moments,” he said.
“It’s been really strenuous and mentally challenging when you’re trying to weigh everything up and decide on the best strategy to take.
“It’s a fine line between going for all the bonuses and trying to finish in a good time so it was a good experience to go through that for next time.
“It was exactly what I expected and really good fun. It was a good team effort and we all had to re-strategise as we went through the stages.
“There were so many times where we had a set plan and then had to re-think it as we went along because things change and that was really beneficial.
“It’s a great event and I think it’s one that we will definitely come back to in the future. The team building side of it has been great.”
With more than £100,000 raised for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust the event was a huge success and Mick is sure that it is something his colleagues will remember for a long time to come.
“It’ll be good to take the experience back to the workplace and have that enthusiasm and use the way we have bonded,” he added.
“It’s a unique event and one where you can really get to know your colleagues and see them in a new light.”
The UK Challenge is the UK’s leading corporate team building event, providing companies from a variety of industries with an epic, adrenaline fuelled adventure that delivers powerful business benefits. To find out more, visit www.ukchallenge.co.uk
