Hartlepool primary school staff to take on Tough Mudder in memory of former pupil

A team of teachers and staff from a Hartlepool primary will face their toughest test this weekend to raise money in memory of a former pupil.
Lee Dees (MKM) presents a Tough Mudder shirt to Stranton Academy headteacher Neil Nottingham as fellow Tough Mudders wear their shirts. Photograph by FRANK REIDLee Dees (MKM) presents a Tough Mudder shirt to Stranton Academy headteacher Neil Nottingham as fellow Tough Mudders wear their shirts. Photograph by FRANK REID
Lee Dees (MKM) presents a Tough Mudder shirt to Stranton Academy headteacher Neil Nottingham as fellow Tough Mudders wear their shirts. Photograph by FRANK REID

The group of 14 members of staff from Stranton Primary School will have to work together to complete the challenging Tough Mudder obstacle course tomorrow.

But it will be worth it as the team are on course to raise more than £4,000 in honour of pupil Dan Sullivan, who died from a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia at the age of just seven four years ago.

Dan SullivanDan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan
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Held at Belvoir Castle, near Lincoln, Tough Mudder is spread out over a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to test physical and mental grit to the limit.

Neil Nottingham, Stranton Primary School headteacher, said: “We started training the first week back in January. It seemed a long way away and now it is here.”

The team have been getting in shape over the last five months with intense training from PT instructor Ros Charlton. They took delivery of their Tough Mudder kits this week.

Participants will have to crawl over muddy fields, cross water and walk through a curtain of electrified wires and Neil said some of the team have started dreaming about some of the obstacles.

Dan SullivanDan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan
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He added: “Some staff have no experience of doing anything like this at all but they have all thrown themselves fully into it ad are ready to go on Saturday.

“They are very excited but a few have reported a few dreams about some of the obstacles this week.

“Some of the staff didn’t even know Dan but have totally bought into what we are trying to do and why.”

They are doing it to raise money for Dan’s family’s chosen charity Believe In Magic which helps seriously and terminally ill children enjoy once in a lifetime experiences.

It allowed Dan to appear on stage with pop star Jessie J.

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A sponsorship page on the JustGiving website for the Tough Mudder event has raised just over £1,400.

Neil said with team member’s individual sponsorship and a recent charity night, it has pushed the total up to more than £4,000.

To donate go to https://www.justgiving.com/Stranton-School.