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Krishnan Guru Murthy, Samantha Womack and Dr Zoe Williams are the new names announced for Sport Relief: On Thin Ice
Four days. 100 Miles. A triathlon with a twist.
A team of brave celebrities will take on this extreme challenge on foot, by bike and on skates for Sport Relief 2020 to raise life-changing funds.
Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Samantha Womack are the next celebrities announced to be taking part in Sport Relief: On Thin Ice.
Dr Zoe Williams will be joining the expedition team to offer medical advice and report back on extreme elements.
More celebrities still to be revealed this week.
Celebs will take on a 100-mile triathlon on ice across a frozen lake in Mongolia.
The action will be filmed for a BBC One documentary set to air the week of Sport Relief, which is back on Friday, 13th March.
Wednesday 5 February: Sport Relief has today announced that Samantha Womack and Krishnan Guru-Murthy are joining the team of brave celebrities who are taking on a 100-mile triathlon across a frozen lake in Mongolia, to raise life-changing cash and tackle mental health stigma.
They will be joining Nick Grimshaw, Louise Minchin, Frankie Bridge and Rob Rinder, who were announced earlier this week. The team is not yet complete, with further announcements planned this week.
Dr Zoe Williams has been offering training support to the celebrities over the past couple of months and will be joining the expedition team on the ground to offer medical advice and help keep the public up to date on how the extreme elements will affect them all.
The team of celebrities will be trekking, skating and cycling almost a marathon a day across the ice of Lake Khovsgol in freezing temperatures dropping as low as -35 degrees Celsius. All of the action will be filmed for a BBC One documentary which will air the week of Sport Relief, which is back on Friday 13th March.
Sport Relief: On Thin Ice will raise money to help improve life-changing mental health services and support many other projects tackling poverty and injustice, both in the UK and around the world.
Globally, one in four people* will be affected by a mental health problem at some point in their lives, and each of these adventurers feels passionate about speaking out to help break the stigma surrounding the issue.
Krishnan Guru-Murthy: “If something bad happens, if something goes wrong, I will handle that quite well because I’m quite good in a crisis. But my real worry is that I’m going to be the one having the hard time. I like ensuite bathrooms and I like big beds. I’m not looking forward to camping, it’s not really my kind of thing. But this is a fantastic opportunity for me to do something good, to help raise loads of money that will really change other people’s lives. I spend a lot of my time reporting on these issues [mental health], and it will be great to actually do something myself that makes a difference.”
Samantha Womack: “As an actor, I’m obviously used to playing someone else, so it’s going be quite different being filmed just being myself, for nearly a week! Plus, this is a challenge that will push us to our limits, both mentally and physically, so everything’s going to be on the surface. I can’t wait to get stuck in. I love the idea of working as a team and all being in it together. I am thrilled to be doing it for Sport Relief, to raise vital funds for mental health services and raise awareness of the scale of the problem.”
Dr Zoe Williams: “A feat like this would be tough on the body anywhere in the world but, in these freezing conditions, it’s going to be incredibly challenging. Cold temperatures put a greater strain on your metabolism and slow down your body’s reaction times, and the amount of water lost from breathing increases significantly. Our celebs are going to have to be vigilant against things like hypothermia and frostbite and will have to make sure they’re taking on enough food and water, as they will be working a lot harder than in normal conditions. I’ll be there to help with all of this, and try to make sure that everyone stays on track, physically.”
Money raised for Sport Relief will support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. Find out how you can get involved here.(opens in new window)
