Patients of Dr Gautam Sharma have come to recognise him as a very community spirited dentist – and now he’s proven that yet again, thanks to one more completed fundraising quest.
This weekend Dr Sharma swapped his surgical whites for walking boots and trekking attire, and successfully completed the Three Peaks challenge in aid of the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind.
The tough physical undertaking involved conquering Skiddaw, Helvellyn, and Scafell Pike – in a matter of just over 12 hours.
Dr Sharma is no stranger to charitable and challenging activities, and in the last 12 months has been completing various runs for charities in the local region, as well as continuing his global ‘mission’ work, to support displaced families in Syria.
Now a trustee of the Dental Mavericks charity, Dr Sharma has completed a number of missions to Lebanon, regularly taking supplies and gifts which have been collated thanks to the generosity of the Norfolk Community.
For his latest quest, he was determined to support one of Norfolk’s oldest charities.
“When I heard about the work that Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind does, I was really keen to get involved in an activity which could raise them some much needed money,” he said.
“It’s a fabulous charity which helps so many people with sight loss to lead active and independent lives.”
Dr Sharma says the challenge was a great experience – but a test on body and mind.He said: “It was a fantastic challenge, but really did push me mentally and physically.
“I always knew that there’s a drop-out rate of around 20% during a quest like this, but I was determined to do the best I could, so even when we started hearing about warnings of the weather closing in, I was focusing my mind on wanting to complete the challenge and raise the money for such an important cause.”
He added: “I’m proud to have completed the Three Peaks and to have raised money for an organisation which is close to the hearts of so many people in Norfolk. I’m still feeling a little sore though….so I’ll take a few weeks before I plan to undertake another physical fundraising challenge like this one!”.
The charity was established in 1805 and seeks to help upwards of 30,000 with poor sight in Norfolk.
If you are interested in hearing about Dr Sharma’s trip, and wish to have him present to your school or organisation, you can contact his team by emailing: [email protected].
