Coleraine Mum Braves SAS Route for Charity in Winter

A Coleraine mum of three is planning to take on the gruelling Fan Dance, a 24km route march in the Brecon Beacons which is part of the infamous SAS Selection Test.

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This challenge is testing enough in the summer months, however, Debbie White is planning on tackle the ascent of Pen y Fan which is 2,907 feet (886 m) in the heart of winter to raise funds for The Olive Branch, a local mental health charity.

“The first time I did it was with a group from Core Gym and we decided to do it to raise money for The Olive Branch which is run by my friend Leoné Neill.

“I love doing challenges so when she asked me would I go and of course I said yes. This happened during the pandemic so it gave me something to do. There wasn’t much open and we met up every Sunday morning and would go on hikes around the coast and it was brilliant - a group of people getting out in the fresh air. It also meant we had something to work towards.”

Debbie, a skin technician, took on this tough endurance event again in June this year.

“Leoné and another friend Sorcha Murphy were doing it again so I agreed to sign up. However, this year we hadn’t done any training apart from going to spin class at Spin Club in Coleraine.

“The first time we were in the Mournes doing Slieve Donnard, we went to Errigal, we were really well prepared for it. I thought, sure we will be alright.

“It was a lot tougher this year than the previous time. The first time we did it in 4 hours 58 and  this year it was nearly 6 hours because of the heat but we still did it even thought it was more of a challenge.”

Debbie and her friends were again part of the Core Gym group joining other participants from across the UK.

“It’s organised by a company called The S. F. Experience. The events are directed by ex-members of the Special Forces who have passed the gruelling selection process themselves.

“The Fan Dance is the first stage of that selection process and it was set up to give people a feel for what they go through.

“The first year we met Billy Billingham from the Who Dares Wins TV programme. He gave everyone a motivational talk at the start.

“There are different categories as well, Clean Fatigue and Loadbearing. We did Clean Fatigue which is not weighted even though you still have your back pack with you. The Loadbearing category means you have a bergen weighing a minimum of 35lbs.

“I really admire the men and women who did it weighted because that is so, so tough. Pen y Fan is gruelling. It’s not the length of it, it’s the terrain. From the very beginning you are on an incline, you go up and up and up and you try to get your breathing under control. You think you are almost there but its a false summit and you are going up again.

“There is a section called Jacob’s Ladder which is a steep set of stone stairs and it’s very tough. You also have to contend with a time limit and you must reach the halfway point within it otherwise you wouldn’t be allowed to finish it and they were really strict about that.”

The return descent was equally challenging for all the participants.

“There were people struggling and then at one point a few big men went past us with full weighted bergens and fell, one man broke his arm.

“It was rocky terrain and you couldn’t take your eyes off the ground, you had to concentrate really hard because if you didn’t you you lose your footing.

“As you come down you feel it so much more. You are starting to feel the aches and pains. Your toes are hurting because of the angle you are at and they are hitting the top of your boots and you see the finish line ahead of you for quite some time and you keep thinking I just want to get finished now.”

After a challenging 6 hours you could forgive the girls for not wanting to take on Pen y Fan ever again.

“We all said we would never do it again but we all had such a brilliant time and a great weekend away with a lovely group of people, a week after we got home we all agreed to do it for the third time, this time in the winter.

“It will be completely different doing it mid-January and people might say we are mad but we are up for it. We are going to do it to raise money for the Olive Branch. We raised quite a bit of money the first time and it’s a great charity who do so much for people and it’s totally self funded.”

Not only has this Coleraine mum conquered Pen Y Fan twice she has also done a parachute jump, a few Tough Mudders, completed the Rat Race three times and a few half marathons.

You can’t deny that Debbie, who recently celebrated her 45th birthday, likes a challenge and despite going for her hattrick of ascents in January, the coldest and most unforgiving month, there is no doubt she will smash it and go on tackle more exciting adventures.