Sporting legends Seb Coe and Greg Rusedski set up a Shuttle Run #TwoPointSixChallenge for Greenhouse Sports

• British Sporting greats set up the Shuttle Run to raise funds for Greenhouse Sports
• Their shuttle runs will stream live on Instagram at 2.06pm on London Marathon Sunday (April 26th)
• They are inviting the public to complete their own Shuttle Run Challenge
• Seb’s Instagram here Greg’s Instagram here

BRITISH sporting legends Seb Coe and Greg Rusedski will run a shuttle run equivalent to 26 lengths of a Tennis Court this Sunday afternoon – to raise funds for Greenhouse Sports charity as part of the nationwide #TwoPointSixChallenge.

Jointly streaming live on their Instagram channels at 14:06hrs on London Marathon Sunday, the London 2012 Olympics Games Chief and the former British Tennis Men’s No 1, will each run a 26 lap shuttle run (each lap the equivalent length of one tennis court, for a total distance of about 1.1 miles or 1.8km) – and then pass the baton, challenging others on social media to have a go at a 26-lap shuttle run of their own making.

Greenhouse Sports is a charity that places sports coaches and mentors in schools to support disadvantaged young people.  The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has caused a major disruption to the charity’s work. After schools closed, Greenhouse Sports coaches were immediately isolated from the 7000+ youngsters they mentor. However, they went to work and re-invented themselves, launching a campaign to create an online coaching platform from scratch, called #HomeCoach.

Seb Coe said: “It would be stretching the truth to say I’m looking forward to taking on a 26-lap shuttle run! This will be the fifth day in a row for me of some tough 2.6 challenges for someone in their mid-60s, but I’m I can finish my #TwoPointSixChallenge well and in a decent time! I hope the public will watch and support both Greg and myself in fundraising for this great charity.

The pandemic has reduced dramatically the income that our charities large and small would normally rely upon, the shortfall is estimated to be £4 billion. One of those charities is Greenhouse Sports.

“I have become very familiar with their work through the Sebastian Coe Charitable Foundation. Greenhouse Sports is committed to using sport to help young people living with disadvantage to realise their full potential. Their work, like so many charities, has been severely disrupted by the pandemic but they have continued their work to support young people staying at home during this time with a fantastic #HomeCoach campaign. It is to maintain this commitment to young people that rely so heavily on Greenhouse’s work that I happily taken part in the #TwoPointSixChallenge.

Greg Rusedski said: “It is a pretty tough #TwoPointSixChallenge. I had to be very quick on the tennis court and I’m a competitive soul so I’m going to want to do it as fast as I can! It should be fun for both Seb and myself to do, and for the public watching, and will hopefully help raise money and profile for Greenhouse Sports.

“Having visited the schools that Greenhouse Sports works in and played tennis with some of the kids, even when it was snowing, I know the levels of commitment and dedication that the coaches inspire in the kids. Sport is such an important vehicle for a young person’s wider development, and with the coaching and mentoring they receive from Greenhouse Sports it develops the teamwork, communication skills and resilience and leadership for them to achieve their potential – whether that is to become doctors and businessmen, teachers or tennis stars.

“During the current crisis it has never been more important for all of us to do our bit, to keep healthy, stay active and support UK charities.”

Greenhouse CEO, Béatrice Butsana-Sita said: “We are delighted and hugely grateful that Seb and Greg, two legends of British Sport, have chosen Greenhouse Sports as the charity beneficiary of this fantastic 2.6 Challenge.

“This is a very difficult time for many charities, for which the runners and fundraisers of the London Marathon are a key source of support. For Greenhouse Sports and the young, often vulnerable people our Coaches work with, mentor and develop, not being able to support them face to face is a major disruption. Thankfully our #HomeCoach online coaching support is helping to keep them active and engaged with their coaches, despite the isolation.

“I wish Seb and Greg all the best on Sunday. It will be a lot of fun to watch, I hope they both do well and inspire others to have a go at their own #TwoPointSixChallenge.”

#HomeCoach is an online platform that hosts daily fitness, training and wellbeing videos – filmed by our coaches at home –  for our isolated young people and their families via Instagram and YouTube. Importantly, it allows the Coaches to maintain contact and connect with the vulnerable young people they coach and help them stay active and motivated while all are isolated.

Links

Seb Coe –  twitter or Instagram and sponsor page

Greg Rusedski – Instagram and twitter and sponsor page

Greenhouse Sports Instagram and twitter and JustGiving page