(Image From Superheroes.co.uk)
A team within a team, from The Fabulous Active Essex Disability Sports Ambassadors, as they whiz around the World as part of Superheroes Winter Wonderland Challenge, Team Billy is on a mission to deliver presents virtually! By walking, pushing, smelling, swimming, touching, tasting and, anything else they can manage from the comfort of home or out and, about in the local environment.
Each Superhero setting their own target, recording what they have done, sharing their Superhero stories and, contributing to the team total. To inspire, promote, support and educate those with LTHC’s and Disabilities. Without one you can’t be the Superhero! But you can be healthy and become a sidekick. But it’s the Superhero who calls the shots! This is present delivery at it’s best!
The one remaining thing? Those all important Superhero costumes!
Welcome To The Superheroes Winter Wonder Wheels At Home
Superheroes powered by Marvel are back with a new challenge running from the 20 November to the 6 December. Over those two weeks each entrant will be setting their own targets and goals, using as many or little activities and exercises to meet their target as possible, which will be recorded and added to a team total. Every entrant will be placed in one of the four teams to enable them to access help and support along the way.
Celebrity Team Captains have been kicked to the kerb and replaced by four true community Superheroes, including Essex’s very own Billy Mansell, AKA Spiderman and his mini sidekick Superman who head up Team Ironman! Selected for their amazing participation through lockdown and beyond. Ethan will lead Team America, Team Marvel is led by Andi and Emerson is heading Team Hulk!
The Plan/Mission!
For this At Home mission the teams begin their epic journey at one of the UK’s 2012 Olympic venues, Dorney Lake and by the time they conclude and arrive back in the UK each team would have delivered presents to the top cities in the world & covered over 46,000 SUPER KMs!
Here at Time To Heal we have been great supporters and reporters of previous challenges and this time we are taking on a new role as participants and getting geared up and ready to go! Looking forward to a new perspective, especially as the route we follow is international. Our personal challenge is not only to ramp up those KM’s but also to learn a bit about some of the iconic buildings, statues and Christmas traditions of the Cities we’ll pass along the way! So let’s check out the route, get some motivation and, find whats’s great about each city.
1. Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire is utilised by the Superheroes Team for their Triathlon Events which are the only Disability Mass Participation Events that currently runs in the UK. Making it a fantastic place to begin!
2. Tokyo, Japan - One moment towards the end of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 opening ceremony really captivated the world, as 1800 drones lit up the Tokyo sky. They soared 175 metres above the Olympic Stadium! The Japanese exchange gifts on Christmas Eve! Plus they love strawberry shortbread, a bit of a treat. Bit of cooking coming on!
3. Delhi, India - The Home Of Cricket! The first National Cricket Ground, Eden Garden was established in 1864. Here lights are a crucial part of Christmas Celebrations, the Star being the main feature. That’s great for lighting up the sky on those dark nights.
4. Sydney, Australia - The Sydney Harbour Bridge has four different climb packages, depending on your ability and fear of/no fear of heights and length of time! The ultimate will see you through and over the top and involves 1,332 steps over 3 hours! From Surfing Santas, traditional Turkey Dinners to Boxing Day Barbecues with a more seafood feel there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
5. Mexico City, Mexico - Janobe Tapatio is a National Dance. Often called a Mexican Hat Dance first performed in 1860! Not surprisingly the Mexicans know how to party! So for them Christmas is a full month of celebrations, marked with family feasts and lots of piñatas. Perhaps some pacing will be needed for this one!
6. Beijing, China
The Birds nest stadium was the centre piece of the Beijing Games in 2008. It includes of course the standard Running track which is 400 m exact! But only if you run in lane 1! Here we find a healthier bunch as one of the most common Chinese Christmas traditions is to give cellophane-wrapped apples as gifts to their friends. The apples are also often sold with printed messages like ‘love','peace' and 'Merry Christmas’.
7. New York, America
The Statue of Liberty in New York stands at an height of (copper statue to torch): 151 feet 1 inch (46 meters). We need to reach her fast as they like to open one present on Christmas Eve, a long standing tradition. At least she’ll be easy to spot!
8. London, UK - Zooming back to the UK and some ‘maintenance days’ to allow bodies and minds to recover. Then a climb up the Orbit at Olympic Park which stands at 114 m making it the UK’s tallest sculpture. Feeling brave? Then dare to ride down on the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide which is 178 m long! Not to mention the fact that some abseil down it to raise money for Charity! Also makes a great Superhero launchpad as we head back across the channel.
9. Paris, France - Think Eiffel Tower? There are 1665 steps to climb! They might need that tower since menus in Paris usually consist of seafood and oysters as starters, with bread and butter, followed by caviar, foie gras and the traditional Christmas Yule Log, the Bûche de Noël.
10. Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire - The Lake itself was an Olympic/Paralympic Venue in 2012 and we are back for one last lap, a big team finish with our finish line tapes secured and, plenty of time to soak up the Christmas spirit back home!
As part of the team, our personal goal is to scale the height, width or length of these incredible creations each day focusing on physiotherapy which uses pilates, an exercise bike, swimming, pushing, rolling yoga and gardening! We’ll be using resistance bands, crutches, a wheelchair, a power breathe trainer and more along the way with a mixture of superheroes, sidekicks and on ‘maintenance days’ using slightly downgraded Disney Princess powers!
Be A Part Of The Event
You may not have signed up this time but you can still stay involved either as a supporter or completing your own challenges by joining us on our magical adventures around the globe! You could even create your own start/finish lines, race numbers and of course those costumes! Simply count up your steps or use any devices you might have and see how many times you can travel up, down and around using whatever you need to help you.
You can follow the teams as they zoom around the world on social media platforms at the following;
Twitter = @SuperheroTri
Instagram = @superhero_series
Facebook = @Superhero Series
Plus the Team Captains will be posting with #TeamAndi, #TeamBilly, #TeamEmerson and #TeamEthan to motivate, support, guide and follow their teams on their epic adventure!
You’ll be able to follow our journey, watch those km’s count up, be inspired to participate and see which team can make it across that finish line first! In addition you’ll be able to follow The Essex All Together team on the Official Website Page, consisting of 9 Ambassadors.
This is really a great opportunity to have some fun in the lead up to Christmas. A chance to raise awareness of accessible exercise for those with LTHC’s and Disabilities and families as a whole. Something light hearted and fun at the end of a year that has brought so much pain, sorrow and struggle too so many.
Next Time (December)…
A break away from the superheroes we’ll be heading to International Day of Disabilities, followed by a touch of Disney Magic to help us cope with Christmas, before returning to The Active Essex Superheroes. We’ll get all the news from Team Billy about their epic journey’s, diary entries from those superb Active Essex Disability Ambassadors. Giving you ideas on how to complete your own epic challenge from the comfort of your home and through exploration of upcoming events you might like to try!