• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Friday October 6 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Filestream director completes Skyscraper Challenge for charity

Paul Day, technical director of Berkshire-based document management specialist Filestream, has raised over £2,200 by taking part in the world’s first Skyscraper Challenge.

Paul took on this personal challenge to support Tommy’s, a charity committed to saving baby’s lives by fundraising for pioneering research into stillbirth, premature birth and miscarriage.

The charity supports families through every aspect of pregnancy. He chose this charity to honour his niece and her husband who lost their little boy Win and therefore, Paul felt compelled to do something in his memory.

The skyscraper challenge involved candidates running up the 42 floors of The Cheesegrater and then either abseiling 200 metres to the ground or taking a zipline to the neighbouring skyscraper, The Gherkin.

Paul chose to run and then abseil. To do this he had to train for months and has lost almost six stones in the process.

“I trained intensely in the lead-up to this skyscraper challenge because it would be a physical challenge I hadn’t taken on before,” said Paul.

“My preparation for this challenge led me to lose nearly six stone, which allowed me to complete such an important goal for such an amazing cause”.

On the big day, Paul completed his ascent. But, due to health and safety issues, many abseiling candidates were unable to descend. Paul still ran up more than 1,000 stairs to the 42nd floor before heading back down.

“To not be able to do the abseiling part of the challenge was upsetting, but I completely understand that health and safety must come first. Having done the run I was so proud of the journey up that I felt I had completed the hardest physical part of the challenge,” he said.

“My main goal was to raise funds and awareness for the amazing charity Tommy’s. I am so proud of myself and the other participants as we all put effort and emotion into a challenge that meant a lot to all of us.”

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