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Home » Our news » Jordan Wylie launches polar challenge in memory of former Army Cadet

Jordan Wylie launches polar challenge in memory of former Army Cadet

A journey across the frozen Arctic and Antarctic oceans to raise money for ACCT UK’s Matthew Bacon Bursary.

24 August 2021

Having run marathons in Siberia, Yukon, Alaska and Iceland so far as part of a fundraising project called Running Dangerously, Jordan Wylie’s next challenge will see him journey across the frozen Arctic and Antarctic oceans to run marathons on the North Pole and South Poles in order to raise funds for ACCT UK’s Matthew Bacon Bursary.

The Matthew Bacon Bursary Fund supports young cadets who need help in making a step-change in their approach to life. Through participation in life changing adventures, young people are able to build new friendships and improve their mental health and wellbeing. Matthew’s parents, Roger and Maureen Bacon, set up the Matthew Bacon Bursary Fund in 2007 with the Army Cadet Force Association, after the loss of their son, Intelligence Corps officer Major Matthew Bacon, a former Army Cadet, who tragically lost his life in Iraq in 2005.

As Jordan shares:

As well as keeping Matthew’s memory alive, this inspiring project does so whilst providing hope and opportunity of adventure for young people. It is an amazing initiative and more people should know about it.”

Maureen Bacon, Matthew’s mother, added:

We’re amazed and humbled to know that Jordan is supporting the Army Cadets and specifically the Matthew Bacon Bursary through his amazing fundraising efforts. We know first-hand through Matthew how much the ACF can provide life changing opportunities and allow young people to take and make the most of everything they have to offer.”

For the Pole to Pole challenge, Jordan has set up a new virtual challenge that will allow everyone to join him on his 20,014km journey and fundraise as he trains for his polar challenges. Jordan will be using technology to connect everyone wherever they may be, whether that’s at home, in the gym or on top of the world or the end of the earth like Jordan!

The challenge is open to individuals and you can choose to either walk or run and set a target distance or fundraising amount, all of which will be tracked and shown on leaderboards on the website. So, if you want to compete on distance and funds raised with your friends or colleagues you can easily track it! You can sign up NOW here: https://www.jordanwylie.org/pole2pol select ACCT UK as your chosen charity. The challenge will finish on 31^st October but you can sign up and raise funds at any time.

All participants will also receive a digital Running Dangerously – The Polar Edition medal when they’ve completed their challenge.

All the money raised from this virtual challenge for the Matthew Bacon Bursary will support improving the wellbeing and lives of young cadets who would otherwise not have the opportunity to develop important life skills for the future.

As Jordan says:

I would love people to get involved and sign up for the Pole 2 Pole challenge and run with me wherever they are in the world. I want to put the FUN back into FUNdraising and make this challenge as interactive as possible so we can really help the Matthew Bacon Bursary.”