Lease21 help Azzurri complete UK Challenge 2013!
Posted: August 2, 2013 | Daily Rentals
Well……when we say Lease21 ‘helped’ Azzurri complete the UK Challenge, we cant really take any of the credit!! They, of course, did all the hard work, we just provided the wheels!! But we like to think that was an integral part of the teams success! 🙂 Well done to all three Azzurri teams.
Azzurri Telecommunications is a long term client of Lease21. Azzurri recently entered the UK Challenge 2013; a challenge designed to physically and mentally test competitors. The challenge required the Azzurri team members to live out of a minibus for a couple of days as they raced between venues to complete the various activities.
At relatively short notice, and during the festival and holiday season, we were able to arrange and administer all aspects of the provision of four 10 seater mini buses for 4 days. The buses also needed to be able to accommodate all the competitors luggage, including bikes. We’re pleased to say that the Azzurri team had an excellent time and successfully completed the the Challenge.
We’ve included Azzurri’s summary of events below. If you’re thinking of entering a team into next years challenge, let us know, we’ve got the transport covered!
2013 UK Challenge
Download PDF
by Chris Leach – Fleet Manager – Azzurri Communications
Over three days and three nights three Azzurri teams pushed themselves to their absolute limits in the 2013 UK Challenge in Dartmoor. The event consisted of six different stages each of which forced the teams to operate outside their comfort zone and test their ability to work effectively as a team in extremely challenging circumstances.
En-route to the event we had little idea about what to expect but we soon realised this was to be no ‘walk in the park’. On arriving at base camp we were all smiles and introductions followed by a photo opportunity with Dame Kelly Holmes. Smiles soon turned to grimace come midnight when the teams were crossing the finishing line after two hours of running in the rain, fog and pitch black with only a head torch to spot obstacles (including cows). All were happy to return for a shower and sleep before the 6.30am wakeup call which indicated the start of a full day of events.
The morning started with a canoeing and running event, with lessons learned from the previous night the teams were more reserved with their expectations and more realistic with their goals. This proved to be an effective strategy and the recurring theme for success throughout the event. Two and a half hours later we returned with dry clothes, a solid score and a few places gained on the leader board.
The afternoon was challenging, but I suppose the clue was in the events title, testing our communication skills, leadership and gamesmanship,. Cycling for 3 hours around the woods surrounding Exeter Racecourse, this event required expert navigation and precise timings, elements which tested the teams skills but all returned in the allocated time as required. More lessons were learned and the teams bonded closer together, gaining an appreciation for each other’s strengths and providing each other with much needed motivation, support and encouragement. The challenges required a great deal of stamina, agility, and strength from both a physical and a mental perspective and we quickly learned that setting realistic and achievable goals was the name of the game.
On returning to our accommodation for dinner and a chance to put our feet up we were not expecting what came next. Envelopes instructing all teams to travel to the start line for yet another night event, with a 10pm start and the race lasting 3 hours, once again this was going to be a late night. The teams did well on the event, rallying round to encourage heavy legs and tired eyes to navigate the dark woods and muddy trails.
Stage 5 was a construction task, teams were allocated timber, rope, screws and hinges to construct a drawbridge to span an imaginary moat and to get all team members across. Although just one of the three Azzurri teams successfully completed this task we didn’t allow this didn’t dampen our spirits as we headed into the final stage.
Run, cycle, run. The last event was an all-out race for the finish line with a few hurdles along the way in the form of brain teasers. All three teams pushed themselves and went all out leaving nothing on the course, showing that they grew stronger with each stage. Steep climbs and treacherous descents were not enough to break our stride. Finishing in a very respectable time and true to our goals – don’t come last, and beat a few teams that are taking themselves too seriously – we had completed the UK Challenge with new found friends, vastly improved skills and a taste for 2014.
About the author
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Hire & LeasingMarch 21, 2018
- Wheelchair Access Minibus for Duchess of Kent HospiceSeptember 5, 2016
- Update to Marathon Run for Down2UsFebruary 5, 2015
- Lease21 Ltd Good CauseJanuary 30, 2015
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Hire & LeasingMarch 21, 2018
- 10 Years TodayAugust 5, 2013
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs)August 4, 2014
- Happy Birthday To Us !!August 5, 2014