A Hampshire-based digital marketing agency have raised more than £2,100 for Comic Relief with a 200km office-based rowing challenge.
The team at MRS Digital split into two on Monday, March 16, with nine rowers on each side to add a competitive edge to the challenge which saw staff members sitting on two rowing machines in a meeting room for almost eight hours in total.
The family-run business, based in Church Crookham, Fleet, raced against the clock from 8am to 3:50pm to see who would be crowned the winners by reaching 100km first – while the other team pushed on to complete the distance.
Despite feeling “completely shattered” afterwards, the teams said they were “motivated” by the money they helped to raise along the way – while the cakes and sweet treats purchased from the company’s Comic Relief Bake Sale also spurred employees along.
Two Teams, Two Rowing Machines, 200km
The idea for the challenge was born from a need to create a fun and dynamic competition for employees.
Commercial Director Adam Blackford-Mills, 38, who conceptualised the task, said: “The idea for the 200km rowing challenge was to create a fun, head-to-head competition for us to tackle at MRS Digital to raise money for Comic Relief.
“Rowing on machines is an inclusive activity, meaning everyone could take part together, and we knew it would be a great day of racing against each other to see which team would hit 100km first.”
The Day of Reckoning
Ahead of Red Nose Day on Friday, March 20, employees at MRS Digital arrived at their office in Church Crookham at 7:30am sharp on Monday morning for stretching and team talks.
Two rowing machines were situated in an office meeting room, which was decorated with a red balloon arch to mark the occasion.
The first two rowers, Adam and Head of Performance John Burton kicked off the challenge at 8am with a 12-minute-long row.
Five minutes before they were due to finish, the next two rowers from each team were asked to pause their work and line up beside their teammates. This would ensure a smooth transition as the rowers swapped over to carry on towards the 100km goal for each team.
The routine continued throughout the morning and into the afternoon, where the teams saw various dips in energy and sore muscles as each rower crept into their fourth or fifth 12-mintue-long rowing session of the day.
Thankfully, the company’s Comic Relief bake sale helped to keep everyone motivated, where an array of cakes and cookies were available for an afternoon sugar hit.
A clear winner failed to emerge as the day went on, and the teams were neck and neck with around 300 metres between them as they both approached the 100km mark.
Team ‘Row Hard or Row Home’ eventually took the lead, with SEO Lead Jade Powter pushing the team over the finish line.
Plenty of cheering and whooping was on offer for Senior SEO Content Writer Danny Sutton as he hit 100km for the other team just under a minute later.
Client Relationship Executive and winning team captain Lucie Day, 22, said: “There was definitely a mix of excitement, disbelief and ‘oh my God, we actually did it.
“We were completely shattered, but everyone was so proud of each other. The support was brilliant and we definitely made up for the pain with plenty of cake afterwards.”
On how she kept her team motivated, Lucie said: “We all kept each other going by staying loud, positive and celebrating every milestone.
“It was all about creating momentum – so lots of cheering, checking in on people and keeping the vibe fun and focused. Whenever anyone on either team started to dip, the rest rallied around them and that made a massive difference.”
She added: “I’d definitely do it again! The team spirit, the achievement and the impact we made were completely worth it.”
The Importance of Fundraising for Comic Relief
Comic Relief funds vital projects that provide food, shelter, mental health support and life-changing opportunities to those in need – and Red Nose Day, which takes place every March, provides the nation with the opportunity to fundraise for the cause.
“At MRS Digital, we’re always looking for ways to make a positive impact – both for our clients and our community,” Adam said.
“We took on a huge challenge in support of Comic Relief, and every kilometre rowed helped us raise funds to support people facing poverty, hardship and inequality across the UK and around the world.
“It’s an honour to fundraise for an incredible cause like Comic Relief and it certainly kept us all motivated throughout the challenge.”
He added the company were “over the moon” to donate more than £2,100 to the cause.
“It’s so important for us to give back and we can’t wait to take on more fundraising events in the near future,” he said.