Latest news with #Everest
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Bethan Scott to take on 500km cycle in memory of husband
Bethan Scott is embarking on her next major challenge starting on July 23, cycling 500km from London to Paris, as part of her ongoing mission to raise £1 million in memory of her late husband, Dave Scott. Bethan will be joined by fellow fundraisers Roman Mach and Helen Massey, who she met during previous charity treks and cycles in support of Nightingale House Hospice. Helen Massey, Roman Mach and Bethan Scott. (Image: Nightingale House Hospice) The trio will start their journey in Croydon, riding to Dover before crossing the Channel to Calais. Once in France, they'll cycle through picturesque countryside, historic market towns and the poignant war memorials of the Somme, before arriving in Paris via the Champs-Élysées and finishing at the iconic Eiffel Tower. This incredible ride is just one of many challenges Bethan has completed around the world since she began fundraising in Dave's memory following his passing in 2017. Her efforts have already raised over £180,000 for Dave's chosen charities Alzheimer's Research and Cancer Research UK, including £160,000 for Nightingale House Hospice, the place that provided care and support for him and his family. Bethan said: 'The hospice will always be central to my fundraising. Dave Scott (Image: Nightingale House Hospice)'I've seen first-hand the incredible care they gave to Dave and our family. "I've made it my mission to raise £1 million in his name and this year I'm aiming to reach my next milestone of £200,000.' Bethan is grateful to have the backing of three generous sponsors for the London to Paris ride. The ASH Group, SPEN and The Pencilcraftsman have all come forward to support the challenge. Following the London to Paris cycle, Bethan and Roman will head straight into another international challenge in October, taking on the Spanish Three Peaks in Sierra Nevada National Park, tackling Alcazaba, Veleta and Mulhacén (mainland Spain's highest peak) over three gruelling days. The Spanish trek will mark Bethan's 10th international challenge, adding to an impressive list that includes the Inca Trail in Peru, Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, the Great Wall of China, the Alps, Camino de Santiago, mountains of Croatia, Mount Toubkal and cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia and Milan to Venice. In 2024, Bethan and the Everest Base Camp team and Dave's Memory Walking Group, who walked from Llandudno to Wrexham, raised almost £20,000 for Nightingale House Hospice, and she continues to be overwhelmed by the support of her fellow fundraisers. Helen Massey is also planning to take on the Welsh 3000s challenge this year to support Bethan's fundraising total. MOST READ: 3 'must visit' seaside fish and chip shops in North Wales named among UK's best New gastro pub and restaurant opens its doors in Wrexham Over 25's nightclub set to open its doors in Wrexham city centre So far this year, Bethan has raised over £6,000 and is hoping a packed calendar of events will help her reach £20,000 by the end of 2025, bringing her overall fundraising total to £200,000. Bethan added: 'Every step, every pedal, and every summit is for Dave. 'I promised I'd keep going, and I will, not just for him, but for the hospice and for everyone who needs their care.' To follow Bethan's journey or support her fundraising, visit:
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy has a six-year score to settle at The Open 2025 - 'I didn't realise'
With memories of his Royal Portrush meltdown six years ago still vivid, Rory McIlroy has a score to settle at the only venue in his home country to host a major title. After becoming just the sixth man in history to win all four majors with that emotional victory at the Masters, the question switched to what could motivate Rory McIlroy in quite the same way again. Fortunately for him, The Open in Northern Ireland was a matter of months away. With memories of his Royal Portrush meltdown six years ago still vivid, McIlroy has a score to settle at the only venue in his home country to host a major title. And, as record crowds gather on the Antrim coast, the 36-year-old has found his next mountain to climb. 'I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you've got to make your way back down, and you've got to look for another mountain to climb,' he said. 'An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those. If I can't get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don't know what can motivate me.' If McIlroy can re-discover his drive and become Open champion for a second time this summer it might just match that Masters victory - as unimaginable as it may seem for anyone who watched the captivating drama unfold. That final day in April was sport at its best, too tense to watch but too important to miss, and was the kind of night that made a Sky Sports subscription feel good value for money. McIlroy might have won 43 professional events before Augusta, but nerves get to the best of us. He held a five-shot lead at the turn on Sunday but started to drop shots quickly. He managed to pockmark his back nine with enough moments of genius to counteract them but Justin Rose went on a charge. He birdied six of the final nine holes, including the 18th, to set the clubhouse target. McIlroy just needed a par up the last to win and looked set to do it when he left his last putt just a few feet from the hole. But he fluffed his lines and the putt went by, sending him and Rose to a play-off. Remarkably, the pair replayed the 18th, and McIlroy won. "I'd say it was 14 years in the making, from going out with the four-shot lead in 2011 - feeling like I could have got it done there,' he said afterwards – referencing his infamous collapse 14 years ago. There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on the 18th green. But a moment like that makes all of the years and close calls worth it." Through his career, McIlroy has packaged a ferocious work-ethic with that God-given talent and the combination has resulted in a player who is almost unstoppable at his best. But he does carry scars and, while Royal Portrush does not hold as many ghosts as Augusta did for McIlroy, he certainly has a score to settle. Born just 60 miles from the town, he is arguably Northern Ireland's most famous athlete and with that comes the burden of expectation and hope. McIlroy will not just be playing for himself this year, but the majority of the 270,000 ticket holders piling through the gates. He has been a national icon for decades and first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old when he set a new course record at – yep, you guessed it – Royal Portrush. 'I was driving home from work and the golf club phoned me but I thought it was a joke. I did not think anyone could shoot a 61,' said Michael Bannon – his first coach and mentor. It lit up the golfing world.' The Dunluce Course has undergone several changes, with the old 17th and 18th holes removed and two new ones built into the middle. Yet it looks and feels largely the same, which was partly why it was so disconcerting to see McIlroy play there in 2019, as Portrush hosted The Open for the first time in 68 years. By the time he reached the second tee on the first day, he had already hit a ball out of bounds, cracked Anna from Bangor's mobile phone screen with his wayward opening tee-shot, hooked an approach shot into a bush before taking a penalty drop, and holed out for a quadruple-bogey eight. In other words, his challenge ended almost as soon as it began and, on a week where the significance of an international event being held in Northern Ireland was perhaps greater than the actual golf, the sight of the local superstar fluffing his lines so publicly was awkward to watch. McIlroy has had some dark days on a golf course since. He threw away the 2024 US Open in such a gut-wrenching manner that it was legitimate to question whether he would ever win a major again, while he was caught sobbing outside the scorers' office after having The 150th Open ripped from his grasp at St Andrews. All things considered, it's still hard to imagine that felt worse than what transpired at Portrush. McIlroy actually stabilised his round but ended up collapsing at the end, while a second-round 65 could not undo the damage of that first-day 79 and he was on the way back to Florida before many had even finished work for the weekend. 'I didn't realise how emotional I was going to be in 2019,' he said on the eve of this year's event. "I think that was a thing I was unprepared for more than anything else. I remember I hit a shot into the 12th or 13th on the Friday night, when I was trying to make the cut. 'I remember the roar when the ball hit the green, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Just that support and that love from your own people. I was unprepared for that. "I need to just get myself in the right frame of mind to feel those feelings again. It will be my first time back home in public after winning the Masters. Hopefully, I can celebrate with them on Sunday night with the Claret Jug and the Green Jacket.' It will be easier said than done because, since Augusta, McIlroy has lost his spark. He admits he has not properly decompressed from winning the Masters, understandable given how hard he chased it and the circumstances in which he finally did it. At the US PGA Championship, McIlroy struggled amid revelations his driver was 'non-conforming' – not unusual in golf due to wear and tear – while at the US Open, he finished a respectable tied-19th but benefited from calm early Sunday weather before the afternoon starters felt the full force of a storm. To help prep for Portrush, he has since taken the best part of a month off to mentally re-set. I probably haven't taken enough time off or time to reflect after what happened in April, so I'm excited to do a little bit of that over these next two weeks,' he said. The hope is that he will return hungry, motivated, relaxed and ready to go again. If he does, this story could get even better.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Rosehill inside mail: Our Kobison can revive winter fortunes in July Sprint
One-time Everest fringe-dweller Our Kobison can reset his winter campaign at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday in the same race that was taken out by three-times Everest participant Eduardo five years prior. The Angela Davies -trained five-year-old was in the mix for a spot in last year's $20m sprint after finishing runner-up to Joliestar in the Show Country Stakes. It wasn't enough to entice any of the slot-holders but there are plenty of avenues open to Davies in season 2025/26 including in the first stakes race of the new racing year, the Group 2 Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick in three weeks time. Horse and trainer's immediate focus is on Saturday's July Sprint (1100m) after a recent trip north of the border. The Gosford housed gelding's first interstate test in the Lightning Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 7 was as forgettable as it was forgivable as Davies explained. 'He sat five-deep and hung off the turn, I thought he finished off terrific, he was entitled to drop out of it with where he was and how the race was run, he never got on the track,'' Davies said. 'He is back to a favoured track and a favoured trip on Saturday. 'I could have gone to the Ramornie at 1200m but I think his pet distance is 1100m and I think Rosehill is his pet track.' Davies, who boasts a phenomenal winning strike rate of 24 per cent (52 per cent when placings are added), took her career tally to 204 when Denman Star charged past his rivals to post a not entirely unexpected first-up win at Canterbury last month. A near replica of his Golden Rose winning father, Denman, Davies' gelding lines up in this weekend's Midway over 1300m. • Mitch & Shayno's Rosehill tips: 'Too good a horse to go up $23' 'It's probably an ideal distance,'' Davies said. 'I don't know whether the track is ideal for him because he does tend to drop the bit and get back a little bit but we will have to try and ride him accordingly. 'He has just continued to improve and continues to please me last prep and this preparation. 'We just seem to have got him going good at this stage and he is just a happy horse. 'He is entitled to have a crack at a Midway for sure and certain.' â– â– â– â– â– BEST BET PHEARSON (race 9) was bought for $65,000 as a yearling and has earnings of $686,075 with the promise of more to come. The Brad Widdup-trained son of Exosphere has won a Liverpool City Cup and Festival Stakes so is comfortable in stakes grade. He is third-up in Saturday's Winter Challenge off two improving runs in the Civic and Winter Stakes on the way there. Keep in mind that one of his two track/distance runs was his 2023 Festival Stakes win with (same jockey) Tom Sherry up. BEST VALUE ISLAND DREAM (race 4) was a big third on debut at Newcastle then won at Hawkesbury and Rosehill Gardens in quick succession. Trainer Chris Waller even pitched her into the Group 3 Kembla Classic at start four of her first preparation when and where she was only beaten five and a half lengths. Back now and the trials have been rather good. Has a bright future ahead and soft won't worry her. Dreaming of a win! Back-to-back wins for Island Dream and @cwallerracing with a treble! ðŸ��ï¸� @KPMcEvoy | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 26, 2025 EARLY QUADDIE RACE 3: 1, 2, 8, 9 RACE 4: 2, 3, 10 RACE 5: 2, 5, 8, 10 RACE 6: 7, 8, 9, 11 QUADDIE RACE 7: 3, 7, 9, 10 RACE 8: 1, 2, 4, 8 RACE 9: 8, 9, 10 RACE 10: 1, 3, 4 PRICE CHECK DISNECK (race 8) has traversed the Rosehill 1100m three times prior to his impending return to racing in the July Sprint priced at an inviting $13. The first one was his debut, which was a closing eighth of 14 in the Golden Gift. He was back there three weeks later and thrashed Kimochi et al. The third and last time over the t/d was an honourable second in the Listed Starlight Stakes. If they can run on, then he can run on faster than the rest. SECTIONAL STARS TOTOKA (race 6) has only managed two wins in her 15 starts but she has contested races including the Gimcrack, Sweet Embrace, Magic Night, Up And Coming, Callander-Presnell and Denise's Joy. She ran well in some, not so well in others, but to be fair to her, she has to be ridden stone cold early so she can unleash her powerful finish. UNSTOPABULL (race 5) has finished with a medal at 12 of his 21 starts which speaks to his consistency. Four of them were gold medals but one wonders how many of his placings could have been wins with a bit of luck here and there, that is to say, he usually gets back in his races, especially when he draws wide. He just needs a fair track on Saturday so he can post what would be a somewhat deserved win for a horse who almost never runs poorly. Last at the turn, first over the line! ðŸ'¥ Unstopabull wins up along the inside, it's a @nashhot running double! ðŸ'� @cwallerracing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 28, 2024 TRIAL POINTERS SPICE PRAWN (race 1) is the fourth foal of the dual Group 1 winner, Cosmic Endeavour. Her third dam is Twiglet who was a bonny racemare herself but nothing short of a broodmare gem given the success of her foals Easy Rocking and the epic Hong Kong sprinter, Fairy King Prawn. Spice Prawn showed enough in her two losing runs at her first prep (one unlucky) to indicate talent. Easy trial winner on July 7 at Hawkesbury. PONY SOPRANO (race 3) was purchased by his trainer Robert Agnew for $18,000 at the Inglis Gold Yearling Sale in 2023. It has proven to be a canny buy on Agnew's behalf, the gelding has already won $50,000 in just five starts and he's not quite turned four yet. So much to like about his two trials up at Port Macquarie (second) and Taree (won) in two uncommonly strong Open heats.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Top Defence Official Meets Mountaineering Team That Scaled Everest, Kilimanjaro
New Delhi: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday formally flagged off mountaineering expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, saying these two achievements have set a new benchmark for youth in leadership in adventure sports activities. "By successfully summiting Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, the teams have set new benchmarks to inspire young mountaineers across the country and the world at large," he said. The expedition to Mount Everest was conducted to commemorate 60 years of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It was organised in collaboration with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, West Bengal and Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today flagged-in the successful mountaineering expeditions to Mt #Everest and Mt #Kilimanjaro, undertaken by teams from premier MoD institutes including NIM, @HMIDarjeeling, @jimwsofficial and NIMAS. The Kilimanjaro expedition featured a… — Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) July 17, 2025 The expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak) was organised by HMI and undertaken by a team comprising a Divyangjan member, Uday Kumar, having a 91 per cent above-knee amputation. In his address, the Defence Secretary lauded the indomitable spirit, determination and courage of both the teams, emphasising that these missions were not just about scaling the peaks, but also about showcasing India's mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports activities. Rajesh Kumar Singh added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always emphasised the importance of youth empowerment, self-reliance and adventure as a source of building a strong, resilient and fearless India. He termed the four mountaineering institutes of the Ministry of Defence - HMI, NIM, JIM&WS and National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) - as shining examples of this vision. The expedition to Mount Everest was led by Principal, NIM Col Anshuman Bhadauria. The other team members were Col Hem Chandra Singh (Deputy Leader) and instructors from the three institutes, Rakesh Singh Rana, Sub Bahadur Pahan, Hav Rajendra Mukhiya, Nk Thupstan Tsewang and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa. The team climbed through the Khumbu Valley and summited Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, on May 23, 2025. This expedition was aimed at providing first-hand Everest experience to instructors, enabling them to inspire and train future generations of mountaineers. The Mount Kilimanjaro expedition was led by Principal, HMI, Darjeeling Group, Capt Jai Kishan. The other team members were Captain Shruti, Sub Mahendra Kumar Yadav, Pawel Sharma and Sulaxchana Tamang. On August 8, 2024, the expedition team set a world record by displaying the largest national flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro. Subsequently, the team displayed the national flag underwater at a depth of 35 feet in the Indian Ocean off Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, followed by the first-ever tandem skydive by a Divyangjan team on the African continent. This expedition set milestones across all three domains, land, water and air, proving that no frontier is beyond reach.
News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
Radhanath Sikdar Measured The World's Tallest Peak. So Why Is It Called Mount Everest?
Last Updated: Radhanath Sikdar reported his findings to Andrew Scott Waugh, who named the peak after Everest, despite Everest himself opposing the idea, 4 years after the height was calculated Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, carries a curious legacy. It was named after British officer Colonel George Everest, who never actually laid eyes on it. Colonel George Everest, former Surveyor-General of British India, probably never saw the peak that bears his name. Despite this, he was instrumental in the process that led to its naming. Locally, Tibetans call the mountain Chomolungma, while Nepalese refer to it as Sagarmatha. By the time Colonel Everest retired in 1843, the British survey team had not yet ventured to Nepal to measure its mountains. Thus, Everest had no direct connection to the peak named after him. However, he was responsible for hiring Andrew Scott Waugh, who made the first formal observation of the mountain. George Everest's reputation led to the mountain being named in his honour by the survey team. Who First Revealed It In 1852? In 1852, Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar, working for the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, discovered that this mountain is the highest in the world, measuring 8,849 metres. He reported his findings to Andrew Scott Waugh, who four years later named the peak after Everest, considering it a fitting tribute to the former Surveyor-General. George Everest himself opposed this decision. Radhanath Sikdar, who joined the Great Trigonometrical Survey immediately after college, initially named the peak 'Peak-15" around 1850, when the heights of mountains were being measured. Until then, Kanchenjunga was considered the highest peak. Kanchenjunga, located on the border of Nepal in the north-western part of Sikkim, stands at 8,586 metres and is the third highest peak in the world. It wasn't until 1865 that it was confirmed Mount Everest is the highest peak. Why Was Radhanath Sikdar's Name Missing From The Survey Records? There was once a debate over what name should be given to the world's highest peak. Many felt it deserved a local name, but the British rejected the idea and named it after one of their own officers-Everest. Radhanath Sikdar, the Indian mathematician who first calculated the height of the peak in 1852, was not even credited in the official survey manual. Who Was Radhanath Sikdar? Radhanath Sikdar was born on October 5, 1813 in Kolkata (then Calcutta) and was always interested in mathematics. After college, he secured a permanent job in the Great Trigonometrical Survey with a salary of Rs 30 per month, considered substantial for Indians at the time. George Everest kept assigning Radhanath Sikdar more responsibilities. According to a Times of India report, he once even referred to Radhanath as his 'right hand." Andrew Scott Waugh continued Everest's work and tasked Sikdar with measuring Everest's height, which Sikdar achieved without visiting the peak, reporting his findings in 1852. After Everest's retirement, Andrew Scott Waugh took over the post. Radhanath Sikdar was then assigned the task of measuring the height of the peak. Remarkably, he calculated that it was the world's highest mountain without ever setting foot on it. He submitted his findings in 1852, but the British made it official only four years later as they were initially reluctant to trust the data. Who Was Sir George Everest? Sir George Everest was born in England and received his education at the Royal Military College in Buckinghamshire. In 1806, he joined the East India Company as a cadet and was appointed Second Lieutenant in the Bengal Artillery the same year. He soon left for India, where he began working on the Bengal survey alongside Colonel William Lambton. His skill and dedication impressed Lambton, the head of the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS), who appointed him as his chief assistant. After Lambton's death in 1823, Everest succeeded him as the Superintendent of the Indian Survey Department. In 1830, he was promoted to Surveyor General of India. Sir George Everest returned to England later in life and died there in 1866. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 17, 2025, 19:04 IST News world Radhanath Sikdar Measured The World's Tallest Peak. So Why Is It Called Mount Everest? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
