Keira and Alex's story

We're Keira and Alex, aged 40 and 44, and earlier this year we took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to mark a milestone birthday and raise money for a cause very close to our hearts.
 
We’ve always enjoyed walking, but we’d never attempted anything as physically demanding as the Yorkshire Three Peaks before, the distance and elevation were well outside our usual comfort zone! We wanted to push ourselves with a real challenge and do something meaningful at the same time.

One of us works in healthcare, so have seen firsthand the incredible work Dove House does. They provide vital care and support to patients and their families, whether it’s helping people with conditions like motor neurone disease stay comfortable at home, or offering symptom management and respite care for those with life-limiting illnesses. The compassion they show is extraordinary. Dove House is such a special charity within our community, choosing to raise money for them was an easy decision.

The generosity of our friends, family, colleagues, and even patients was overwhelming. With all the donations and encouragement, we received, we felt a real responsibility to complete the challenge. We didn’t want to let anyone down.

It was a stunning day but incredibly hot, which added a whole new layer of difficulty! Staying hydrated became essential. The amazing support and kind messages we’d received kept us going every step of the way.
 
The best moment was the feeling of elation when we reached each summit and then crossing the finish line after nearly nine gruelling hours. It was tough but so rewarding. We raised an amazing £1800 which we were really happy about.
 
Our message to others thinking about signing up for a Dove House event is, do it! It’s such an amazing experience. You get to challenge yourself, have fun, and most importantly, raise money for a charity that truly makes a difference in people’s lives. We’d absolutely recommend it.