Friends scale new heights to support YMCA

When Mohammed first started volunteering at YMCA Cheshire, he never imagined he would be training for one of the toughest charity challenges in the country.

Now, alongside Mark, a YMCA staff member and former resident, he is preparing to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds and awareness for vulnerable young people across Cheshire.

The 2025 Three Peaks Challenge will push both men to their limits, requiring them to summit three of the UK’s tallest and most challenging mountains in rapid succession. Every step they take is to raise money for YMCA Cheshire’s work, from housing and wellbeing support to community programmes.

Mohammed, who volunteers at the YMCA GLO Café in Crewe as a barista, said: “I have been doing athletics my whole life. Football, track and field, basketball, anything that kept me moving. When I moved to the UK in 2021, I did not know anyone, so I stopped. I did not even know how to join a gym.”

Things changed when he met Mike, YMCA Cheshire’s Health and Wellbeing Coach.

“Mike heard I ran and invited me out. We started jogging together. Sometimes 5Ks, sometimes just for the joy of it. It brought that part of me back.”

In July 2024, Mohammed joined Crewe’s Parkrun for the first time. He credits those Saturday mornings with keeping his mental health and wellbeing on track. “Being outside, being active, being part of the community lifts you. It helps you feel like yourself again,” he added.

Now the pair are hard in training for the Three Peaks Challenge in collaboration with Genie’s Wish, taking place over September 26-28.

It starts in Scotland on Ben Nevis, then heads to Scafell Pike in England, and finishes on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Wales.

The walking distance is roughly 23 miles with about 3,000 meters of total ascent.

The team will also cover hundreds of miles by road between the peaks. They aim to complete it in two days, which means little sleep, tough climbs in changing weather, and a need for strong teamwork and careful pacing.

Mohammed is running for the community that welcomed him. Mark is climbing for the young people who deserve to be seen for their potential, not their past.

Every step they take is to raise money for YMCA Cheshire’s work.

Mark knows the power of that care. As a teenager facing heavy challenges, he became a YMCA resident. Through patience, work and consistency, he rebuilt his life. “I have always wanted to do it. What makes it special is sharing it with someone I respect. It is a chance to show the positive stories people do not always hear. Our residents are brilliant and they do brilliant things.”

To donate to their effort go to www.justgiving.com/campaign/ymca

To fundraise for YMCA Cheshire see www.ymcacheshire.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/fundraise