User:Rowan.BRT/Youth Endurance Network

Youth Endurance Network The Youth Endurance Network (YEN) is a volunteer platform founded in 2010 in Hong Kong by the young athlete Christopher Schrader. YEN aims to help young people push their physical and mental boundaries by helping and supporting them in any way they can. YEN helps young athletes search for sponsors, train, find charities, gain support and get people involved.

Current Projects
The 24 Hour Race: YEN's upcoming project is the 24 Hour Race. Christopher Schrader collaborated with the activist Aaron Sehkri to organise this large scale event. In this race teenagers from various schools in Hong Kong will run relay style around Lugard Road in Hong Kong for 24 hours. There will be seven boys per team in the male teams and nine girls per team in the female teams. The race aims to raise money for the charity Stop the Traffik. There will be students involved in both the running of the race and the support for the runners.

As well as the 24 Hour Race in December 2010 there are various events being organised for 2011:

The Great Yangzte Epic:  Two of YEN's Young Leaders kayak the Yangtze River.

Return of the Hong Kong Challenge: The 150km swim, run and row is happening once again, but this time a female Hong Kong student runs solo.

The Longest Tennis Game: One hundred sets of tennis played continuously involving some of the top players in Hong Kong.

Mountaineering Asia: Climbing one of the toughest peaks in Asia.

Past Projects
Christopher Schrader completed 150km swimming, running and rowing around Hong Kong in 24 hours. The race completed by Mr. Schader and his close friend Charles Waite- Roberts was to raise money for two charities, namely Cystic Fibrosis and the Joshua Hellman Foundation for Orphan Diseases. The event was widely supported in Hong Kong and raised thousands of Hong Kong dollars for the two chosen charities.

In Britain Christoper and Charles also began and finished their first Walking With a Purpose challenge. The two boys walked from Pangbourne to Land's End raising money for charity. This walk was the first step in Christopher's continued charity work in Britain and Hong Kong.

The Admin
Behind Christopher there is a groups of Admins working to help promote the charity and gain sponsorship for future events. The group boasts a range of young adults from around the globe. Each person heads a different section YEN and ensures that their area functions as well required of a charity.

Hong Kong Initiatives - Adrian Lam (Hong Kong)

General Administration - Briana Camacho (Trinidad & Tobago)

General Administration - Ray Jang (South Korea)

24 Hour Race organiser - Aaron Sekhri (India/ Hong Kong)

Media - Rowan Twine (Britain)

Training - Rhodri Davies (Britain)

The Young Leaders
These are the young athletes for whom the charity was created, they are the people who initiate and help to organise events. As mentioned in the projects section of the article the Young Leaders are planning a wide range of projects for 2011.

Mary Hui - Return of the Hong Kong Challange

Bobby Adamson - Mountaineering Asia

Alix Lewis - Mountaineering Asia

Tomi Kivilouma - Mountaineering Asia

Robson Beaudry - Mountaineering Asia

Alex Fung - The Great Yangtze Epic

Bheki Mhlenga - The Great Yangtze Epic

Adrian Lam - The Longest Game of Tennis

Other young people involved in the project are being helped by YEN to decide upon a challenge and a cause before they begin their project. Although not actively campaigning yet, they are still in training for general fitness and health.