Feature-length documentary of record-breaking challenge to premiere in London
3 November 2014
The London premiere of ‘As The Crow Flies’ – a feature-length documentary of the Beeline Britain challenge – will be shown at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London on Friday 28 November.
The incredible voyage that saw the team of four navigate the length of Britain – from Land’s End to John O‘Groats – in a straight line was a world first and took around four weeks to complete. It involved kayaking, hiking and cycling and included a 34-hour 200km non-stop kayak from Land’s End to Pembrokeshire.
The record-breaking team was made up of Paralympian and Blesma Member Nick Beighton; Tori James the first Welsh woman to summit Mount Everest; Ian O’Grady, RAF helicopter crewman and founder of the Beeline Britain concept; and Adam Harmer, outdoor instructor and lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.
The journey presented unique challenges for Nick Beighton who is a double amputee after being blown up by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. He said after reaching John O’Groats: “This has been a tough challenge, my body has been blown up and bolted back together again and I know Beeline Britain would test it to its limits. For me I wanted to show how life changing injuries don’t limit your ability to tackle epic challenges and I wanted to raise funds for Blesma who make a hugely positive impact on injured veterans; I feel we’ve achieved all of those aims.”
The team was followed all the way by Image Impossible cameraman Ian Burton who captured all the highs and lows of the journey. Ian said: “Inspiration can come from unexpected places, and traveling with these everyday adventurers was one of the most inspiring expeditions I have ever filmed. I am actually quite stunned by the potential of this film and as each piece of it falls into place I become more excited about premiering it to the public.”
The event will include a talk by members of the team, a chance for audience members to ask questions of the team and the showing of ‘As The Crow Flies’. It will be the London premiere, as the film will have been shown at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival the week before.
The journey raised money and awareness for Blesma, The Limbless Veterans with the current total standing at just over £20,000 but the team are determined to raise as much money as possible for Blesma.
Tickets cost £15 for adults and £10 for concessions with all profits going to Blesma.
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependents. It was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932.
To help the Beeline team beat their £20,000 target, text LINE59 and your amount to 70070.
To view the trailer for ‘As The Crow Flies’, go to: http://vimeo.com/107278565
To buy tickets for the event, go to http://www.beelinebritain.com/
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
Hi-res images can be downloaded from the links below:
Beeline Britain team: /media/143127/DSC_0124.JPG
Ian Burton filming: /media/197323/Ian-Burton-filming-small.jpg & /media/197324/Ian-filming.JPG
About Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless serving and ex-service men and women, their widows and dependents. It is a membership organisation which helps wounded service men and women rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support. Their membership includes those who have lost the use of a limb, an eye or the sight of an eye.
Blesma was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932. Blesma today has over 4000 Members and widows. The membership consists of men and women who have served during the Second World War and the many subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping operations since, including the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Follow us on Twitter @Blesma
For further information on Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, contact
Bryony Stevens, Media and Communications Assistant
T: 020 8590 1124
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