Gym trio in 'Ironman Challenge' to get defibrillators for Mansfield Woodhouse

All set for the 'Ironman Challenge' at The Fitness Box gym in Mansfield Woodhouse are David Stone (left) and James Bennett (right), pictured with gym owner Lloyd Scott and instructor and fundraiser Carol Atherton.

Public defibrillators are key devices that can provide vital help, before paramedics arrive, for people suffering a suspected heart attack.

But the area where The Fitness Box gym on Priory Road is located does not have any, even though it is often busy and full of activity.

So Lloyd Scott, owner of the gym with his partner Joanne Bradford, has launched a campaign, complete with a JustGiving page online, to try and raise the £3,000 needed for two defibrillators.

And at the heart of the campaign will be the sponsored ‘Ironman Challenge’, comprising a 26.2-mile run around the streets of Mansfield, a 122-mile cycle on static spin bikes at the gym and a 2.8-mile row on The Fitness Box’s rowing machines.

Members David Stone, 45, Katy Bowley, 48, and James Bennett, 40, hope to complete the challenge in under ten hours at a special open day at the gym on Saturday, March 19.

Former Army man Lloyd said: “We are near a children’s nursery, community allotments, a bowling green and Yeoman Hill Park, so these defibrillators would be valuable assets to our community.

"Working with people aged from three to 85 here at the gym, we hope to never have to use them. However, we are aware that even the fittest people can become sick at any moment, so we want to be able to offer help if that ever happened.

"We need the generosity of the local community to ensure we can supply this kit and also maintain it, so that it can serve Mansfield Woodhouse and its residents for many years to come.”

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David, a self-employed bricklayer, and James, a joiner, both live in Mansfield Woodhouse, while Katy is from Huthwaite.

All three are long-standing members of The Fitness Box and fitness fanatics. Katy even works for Rat Race, the Yorkshire-based company that organises sport-based challenges and adventures.

One such challenge was an ultramarathon that keen runner David completed from Carlisle to Newcastle last year, helping Lloyd and the gym to raise £1,200 for the Children With Cancer UK charity and a youngster suffering from a rare bone disease.

“We try to do something like this for a good cause every year,” said David. “At the open day, other members can pop in and join in the challenge for a while or donate by chucking money into a bucket.

"And then later this year, the gym is planning a 24-hour fitness event to raise money for the same thing.”

With more and more elderly people using the gym, it is fitting that one of their instructors, Carol Atherton, is the main driving force behind the defibrillator fundraising.

Helping people of all ages to stay fit and healthy is very much the ethos of The Fitness Box.

Lloyd added: “We believe fitness should be fun. We are dedicated to providing normal people with a fantastic, memorable experience.”

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