Steve Prescott and squad complete another epic challenge (From St Helens Star)

Steve Prescott and squad complete another epic challenge

2:29pm Sunday 7th October 2012 in News

THE incredible Steve Prescott overcame a series of obstacles and setbacks to complete the Engage Mutual Race to the Grand Final.

The former St Helens full back arrived at Old Trafford last night, after what he described as “48 hours of mental and physical torture”, in time to deliver the match ball to match referee Richard Silverwood.

The two day event saw cancer battler Steve, along with 29 hardy team members, run across the Humber Bridge, swim one mile in open water, cycle from Hull to Liverpool where they swam the Mersey, before running between Liverpool and Runcorn.

The final leg of the challenge saw the group canoe up the Bridgewater Canal to Old Trafford where they joined thousands of spectators at the showcase event.

Speaking as he finished the 48 hour challenge, Steve, 38, said: “The challenge was tougher than ever; it really was an epic task. They keep getting harder and harder.

“Before undertaking them you forget just how hard they are. But you have to put that to the back of your mind and get into it.

“That said, it’s another challenge completed. I’m not sure how we managed it, but I’d like to thank everyone for their support.”

As well as the challenge of the event itself, the group also had to overcome a number of obstacles along the way.

Before it had even begun, the route was altered for safety reasons as adverse weather meant the Humber swim was not possible.

As a result, the group cycled across the Humber Bridge before swimming a mile in open water, making the challenge even tougher than anticipated.

During the overnight cycle the group were hampered by horrendous weather and a series of punctures which slowed them down and dramatically reduced recovery time before the River Mersey swim.

In Liverpool too, the going was tougher than expected. The river was so strong that it was touch and go throughout whether the swimmers should continue, with the rescue boat shadowing their progress.

The result was that the swim took a lot longer and the challenge group finished half a mile down from their planned rendezvous point.

Backed by Engage Mutual, the aim of the challenge was to raise more than £30,000 for The Steve Prescott Foundation, which was founded to inspire others and raise money for the RL Benevolent Fund and The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester, which has supported Prescott since his diagnosis with terminal cancer in 2006.