A TOWN teacher is set to take on a gruelling 220 mile charity challenge.

PE teacher Nick Fowler, who works at Droitwich Spa High School, Briar Mill, will aim to travel the length of the River Severn in just 24 hours.

He will set out on September 15 with three friends in order to raise money for the premature baby unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice. The friends will use only self-propelled transport to complete the challenge.

Starting at Plynlimon in the Cambrian mountains of mid Wales, the intrepid foursome will use only their feet, bikes and kayaks to arrive at the beach in Weston-super-Mare the following day.

The four are all members of the Worcester Canoe Club but are nevertheless daunted by the challenge.

Mr Fowler said: “If you compare what we are going to do to running the London Marathon, a stage of the Tour de France and then attempting the Devises to Westminster Canoe race all back to back, you get a sense of the challenge we have set ourselves. I am nervous about it but am also very excited.”

Starting on foot on a 20 mile fell run, the four will then change to road bikes and pedal some 110 miles through the night until reaching Worcester Canoe Club, from where they will make the final transition into a four man kayak and begin the last leg, a 90 mile paddle ending at Weston-super-Mare beach front.

Mr Fowler added: “It is proving quite a sizeable incentive to train for the event, it’s not like we can just turn up and complete it. We’re having to train very hard for this, which is one reason why I have been running and cycling to school so much. They are both very worthwhile charities and it will make a considerable difference if we can raise significant funds for them.”