Mary's Meals, a simple solution to world hunger

Mark Beaumont – the record-breaking British athlete, adventurer and author who is perhaps best known for cycling around the world – has signed up to an incredibly challenging Scottish endurance event that is set to raise funds and awareness for the work of Mary’s Meals.

The Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon, which takes place on July 14th 2012 in the stunning landscape of Highland Perthshire, combines four mighty challenges – a swim, run, kayak and cycle – and, after confirming his partnership with event organiser Wildfox Events this week, Mark has already started training in earnest.

Mark said: “Off the back of the big expeditions I’ve done in the last year, it’s exciting to come back and test myself on some of the challenges here on the banks of Loch Tay in Perthshire, pretty close to where I live in the heart of Scotland.

“I’m used to doing big solo expeditions – pedalling around the globe and the Americas – but to come back to my training ground and take on events like this, it’s pretty exciting. Despite everything I’ve done, this is pretty new.

“It’s also fantastic to be involved in an event which will raise funds and awareness for Mary’s Meals, a charity that – quite unbelievably – can feed an impoverished child in Malawi for just £7 for a whole school year.”

Mary’s Meals is an international movement that sets up school feeding programmes in some of the world’s poorest communities, providing hungry children in places like Malawi, Liberia, Kenya, Haiti and Uganda with vital nutrition and encouraging them to learn.

As a result of funds raised during last year’s Quadrathlon, Mary’s Meals was able to begin feeding at seven new schools in Malawi, the densely populated country in Southern Africa which is ranked 160 out of 182 in the UN’s list of least developed nations.

This funding continues to have a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of children at these schools who, without Mary’s Meals, would regularly go hungry. Joseph, for instance, is a 13-year-old boy who attends Supuni School, one of those supported by last year’s Quadrathlon. His parents both died when he was 11 years old and he now lives under the care of his older sister.

Joseph says, “Before Mary’s Meals arrived at our school, I found it difficult to concentrate. I was so hungry that it always made me feel sick. But now I’m so fortunate to eat every day and I can focus on my studies. One day, I would love to be a doctor and help other people, like you have helped me.”

You can join Mark Beaumont in taking on the Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon, and raise funds for Mary’s Meals in the process! Visit www.artemisgreatkindrochit.com for more information.