Mum of two from Desford, Rachel Tuckey takes on the elements to raise money for Leicester Children’s Hospital by completing four challenges covering the earth, air, water, and fire.

This weekend Rachel completed her third challenge – water, with five of her friends. This involved taking on 10km, that’s 400 lengths of the Bosworth Academy Pool, completing the challenge in 3 hours and 39 mins. Rachel attended Bosworth Academy as a child and both her sons now take part in the Total Swimming Academies lessons taught at the pool. Rachel was supported by the swimming team there and starting the swimmers off on their pursuit was Olympic gold medallist Becky Adlington.

Leicester Children’s Hospital is incredibly close to Rachel’s heart, the staff and facilities were vital in the care of Rachel’s second son Oscar following his birth in September 2019. Oscar was born five weeks early with several health issues and suffering from bronchiolitis – which culminated in him having severe breathing problems and often left him unable or struggling to breathe for himself.

In the first eight months of Oscar’s life, he was in and out of the hospital. Rachel said: “Our first blue light admission was when Oscar was only two weeks old, with his last – and most critical – in the early hours of 10 March 2019 just a week off his half-year birthday. We had no idea that the Leicester Royal Infirmary would become like a second home to us.”

Following an operation in April 2019, Oscar has gone from strength to strength. So, Rachel decided in celebration of her turning 40 and Oscar turning four years old, she wanted to fundraise for the hospital that helped to keep her a family of four.

Rachel continued: “Leicester Children’s Hospital has done for us what we felt, at times, was the impossible and now I would like to do something as near to impossible for me as I can to help raise much-needed funds for them to continue their incredible work. I can’t explain how much it would mean to me to somehow help to keep other families together against the odds.”

Rachel completed the first challenge, earth, in July, which involved completing the Yorkshire three-peak challenge. Rachel took on the 24-mile trek along with the local fitness group My Tribe Leicestershire who were and are still such a support to her during the difficult times.

The second challenge was a Tandem Skydive in September. This challenge has been the most difficult one of all for Rachel so far conquering her fears to complete the skydive with six of her friends.

Having now completed three out of the four challenges and raising a massive £7,300 so far, Rachel will be preparing to take on a fire challenge later next year and continue to raise more money for Leicester Children’s Hospital.

Kamlesh Mistry, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at Leicester Hospitals Charity said: “Rachel is such an inspirational fundraiser. We’re so proud of her dedication to being able to give back to her local hospital. We will support her any way we can as she continues this quest to complete the challenge of the elements.”

To find out more about the challenge and to donate, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4bigchallengesforthebig40

If you have an idea to fundraise for Leicester Hospitals Charity, then get in touch with Kamlesh and the team uhl-tr.lhcharitymailbox@nhs.net or call 0116 258 8709.