On Friday 12 July 2019, Members of Wildcard Strength and Conditioning, a CrossFit gym based at FarGo Creative Village in Coventry, will take part in The Longest Day. From 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday, Wildcard Athletes will complete a gruelling workout every hour, on the hour, for 24 hours to raise money for The Not Forgotten Association.

The 24 individual workouts are likely to involve a mixture of Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, running, rowing, cycling, functional bodybuilding and core conditioning that will test Member’s strength, speed, endurance and agility.

CrossFit workouts are never easy and are often very high intensity. Adding lack of sleep and muscle fatigue into the mix, these Athletes will be tested to their physical limits to raise money for this important cause.

Alex Burrell and James Przybek, owners of Wildcard, have both served as Royal Marines and have selected The Not Forgotten Association as it is a charity very close to their hearts. Alex has been a recipient of support from The Not Forgotten Association after being medically discharged from the Royal Marines.

Alex says ‘My final deployment was pretty tough and will be something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. We were a 5-man team deployed on a rescue vessel to the sea between Turkey and Greece just as the “Migrant Crisis” started.

We saw some of the best and worst in humanity over that time and I have been left with lasting scars mentally after some of the horrific things we had to deal with.’

Through social activities and challenges, The Not Forgotten Association combat the causes of isolation and loneliness; a blight that adversely affects so many vulnerable wounded, injured and sick service personnel and disabled members of the Armed Forces community.

They help to restore confidence, enhance wellbeing, boost morale and improve the chances of service men and women, providing fun, laughter and friendship to those who have served their country and now suffer.

Brigadier James Stopford CBE, Chief Executive of The Not Forgotten says ‘This challenge is going to be tough, but it’s an example to all of how no one should be defined or limited by their injury or illness. The Wildcard Longest Day Challenge epitomises what The Not Forgotten is all about – finding comradeship through challenge and we wish Alex and the team all the very best.’

James, co-owner of Wildcard, says ‘We have 30 of our committed Members taking part in the fundraiser including Students, Teachers, Doctors and members of the UK City of Culture 2021 team. It will be an extremely difficult challenge, with 24 different workouts and very little opportunity to grab a few minutes sleep. After three tours of Afghanistan with a high level of sleep deprivation, I could not be more proud of the Wildcard members embracing this challenge.’

A fundraising page has been set up to support Alex, James and the Members of Wildcard https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/WildcardLongestDay. Although The Longest Day will be an extreme test of fitness and stamina for established Members, Wildcard’s doors are open to those will all levels of fitness, with workouts scaled to suit each Member individually during small, coached, classes seven days a week.

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For more information on WildCard Strength and Conditioning visit http://wildcardsc.com/
For more information on The Not Forgotten Association visit https://www.nfassociation.org/

James Przybek is available for interview, contact jamesprzybek@gmail.com or call 07925 903 470