{"id":5755,"date":"2026-08-19T09:28:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/?p=5755"},"modified":"2026-08-19T09:28:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:28:31","slug":"35-miles-two-days-and-a-challenge-with-a-purpose-owen-takes-on-the-wolfpack-survival-race-in-aid-of-pcit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/2026\/08\/19\/35-miles-two-days-and-a-challenge-with-a-purpose-owen-takes-on-the-wolfpack-survival-race-in-aid-of-pcit\/","title":{"rendered":"35 miles, two days and a challenge with a purpose: Owen takes on the Wolfpack Survival Race in aid of PCIT"},"content":{"rendered":"

A huge thank you to Owen Hadley, who has raised \u00a31,000 for the Parkinson\u2019s Centre for Integrated Therapy (PCIT) at the University of Kent by taking on the Wolfpack London to Hastings 3-36 Survival Race.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Owen signed up for the challenge, he knew he was taking on something tough. What he didn\u2019t know was where he would be starting, who he would be tackling it with or quite what the next two days would involve.<\/p>\n

The challenge began with Owen and his teammates, who were complete strangers to one another, having their phones sealed away and being dropped at an unknown location. Armed with just a map and compass, they had to navigate their way to Hastings over two days. By the time they reached the finish line, they had covered an impressive 35 miles.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking part in the London to Hastings Survival Race was one of the toughest and most rewarding things I\u2019ve done,\u201d says Owen.<\/p>\n

Travelling light was essential, so Owen carried only the bare minimum, including a tiny one-man tent. Some competitors didn\u2019t even bring a tent and simply slept under the stars. Although the weather was kind to them and even hot at times, the combination of long distances, little sleep and the realities of camping made it a real test of endurance.<\/p>\n

As well as navigating their way to Hastings, the teams faced a series of challenges that relied on everyone bringing their individual skills to the group. Owen\u2019s experience with the fire service came in particularly handy when they had to light a fire without matches.<\/p>\n

But the challenge was about more than simply reaching the finish line. Over the course of two days, Owen and his teammates had to rely on each other, encourage one another through the difficult moments and work together to overcome the challenges they faced.<\/p>\n

They may not have been the fastest team to finish, but that didn\u2019t matter to Owen. The real achievement was seeing a group of complete strangers become genuine friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely loved the challenge, the camaraderie and the sense of achievement,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

A challenge with a personal purpose<\/h3>\n

For Owen, there was an even more important reason for taking on the challenge. He wanted to raise money for PCIT, which supports his mum, Alex, who lives with Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The last couple of years had been challenging for Owen personally and he wanted something positive to work towards that would push him both physically and mentally. When he discovered the Wolfpack Survival Race, its difficulty was part of the appeal.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen I found the Wolf Pack Survival Race, I knew it would be a real test, but that\u2019s exactly what appealed to me. Raising money for PCIT gave the challenge an even greater purpose. Seeing the support my mum and others affected by Parkinson\u2019s receive through PCIT made me want to give something back.<\/p>\n

Taking part wasn\u2019t just about completing the course \u2013 it was about proving something to myself while helping a charity that means a great deal to my family. That\u2019s what kept me going when things got tough.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Owen\u2019s connection with PCIT has given him a first-hand understanding of the difference the Centre can make to people living with Parkinson\u2019s and their families.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWatching Mum live with Parkinson\u2019s has shown me just how much strength it takes to face each day. PCIT has given her more than therapy \u2013 they\u2019ve given her confidence, independence and a place where she\u2019s truly understood. Their support has made everyday life that little bit easier, and seeing the difference they\u2019ve made to Mum means more to me than words can express. That\u2019s why supporting PCIT is so important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Owen\u2019s decision to take on such a demanding challenge has raised an incredible \u00a31,000 for PCIT<\/strong>, helping the Centre to continue providing support to people living with Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

We are hugely grateful to Owen for taking on the Wolfpack London to Hastings Survival Race and for choosing to use his challenge to support PCIT. His determination, generosity and commitment will make a real difference to the Centre and the people and families it supports.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A huge thank you to Owen Hadley, who has raised \u00a31,000 for the Parkinson\u2019s Centre for Integrated Therapy (PCIT) at the University of Kent by … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2419,"featured_media":5756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[118123,229063],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5755"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5759,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755\/revisions\/5759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/development\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}