Gruelling 24-hour non-stop ice skating challenge raises £600

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THE OLD YEAR ended on a high note when two ice skaters took to the Elgin Ice Festival rink at 10am last Wednesday – and remained on it for 24 hours!

Victoria Stuart (16), an Elgin High School pupil, joined Craig Allan on the ice for a 24-hour challenge that they hoped would raise funding for the Friends of the Oaks palliative day care centre in Elgin.

The gruelling post-Christmas challenge saw both remain on the ice around the clock – bar short stops for food and comfort breaks.

Craig said that it was far from easy during the night as they faced sub-zero temperatures: “We had ice, snow, rain, hail and sleet thrown at us – all of which required scraping from the ice after a shower had passed over.

“Then there was the inch of snow that also required clearing at the beginning of the day, so it was certainly a gruelling stamina test for us both.”

It was a test they passed with flying colours, however, finally coming off the ice at 10am on Thursday – cold, exhausted and with sore feet.

Craig added: “We completed the challenge and as a result managed to raise in the region of £600 which will be split evenly between the charity and the Caledonian Ice Skating Club, of which we are both members.”

People can still boost their fundraising efforts further by making donations online.