Gold Challenge is Britain's first Olympic and Paralympic sport-based charity challenge and founder Thompson will take part in a staggering 110 events - from triathlon to pole vault to 10 metre high diving to show jumping - in order to help raise over £100,000 ($157,940/€114,667) for his charity's partners.

Yesterday saw Thompson in action at the Olympic rowing and canoeing venue Dorney Lake near Windsor where Team GB rowing coach Terry Hunter put him through his paces with the aim of completing the Olympic rowing distance of two kilometres on the Olympic waters.

Thompson will also be visiting other Olympic and well known sporting venues throughout the country, as well as working with national and GB coaches wherever possible.

"We created Gold Challenge to enable people to raise millions for charity and to experience Olympic and Paralympic sports," he said.

"In order to contribute to these goals, I'm going one step further by taking part in every Olympic and Paralympic event - 110 in total.

"I am extremely grateful to the venues and people - such as Dorney Lake and Terry Hunter - that are helping me along the way.

"I aim to raise over £100,000 for the Gold Challenge Tier 1 charity partners: Cancer Research UK, Scope, Right to Play, Oxfam and NSPCC.

"Wish me luck or better still take up the Gold Challenge."

Gold Challenge is partnered with Sport England as part of Places People Play, the official mass participation legacy programme for London 2012.

The independent, not-for-profit organisation also works with the British Olympic Association (BOA), sportscotland, Sport Wales, ParalympicsGB and the National Governing Bodies of the Olympic and Paralympic sports.

By the end of 2012, Gold Challenge aims to have encouraged 100,000 people to complete personal sporting challenges, raising £20 million ($31.5 million/€22.9 million) for charity in the process.

Gold Challenge supports more than 135 charities and anyone participating in the scheme can fundraise for any one of the partner charities they choose.

To register for the Gold Challenge click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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