Bridget Funnell had toyed with the idea of trying to enter the Drambuie Pursuit, a Scottish challenge for at least three years, realising that by putting it off it

certainly wasn't going to get any easier so she decided to enter an "old birds team," and Drambluie Rinse, from Bude was formed.

Not for one minute thinking they would be accepted to compete in the 2010 event, as entries would be decided by on-line voting, the 'enter now' button was pressed in late December 2009, the girls were straight on with photos and video to embellish their page on the Drambuie website, hoping to gain enough votes to be accepted.

There was a further incentive as the team with the most votes by March 31 would receive a £2,500

donation for their chosen charity, Cornwall Air

Ambulance.

By seriously hard work and networking 24/7

Drambluie Rinse stormed ahead with the votes and won the money, which of course meant automatic entry into the challenge.

Bridget said: "Now the work really began, we had seen photos of some of the other teams and they looked pretty intimidating. We work hard to stay fit, but there were nine different disciplines, most of which we

hadn't tried before. Thankfully so many fabulous local people were willing to help with expertise and

equipment to set the girls up to giving the challenge a fair chance."

Training sometimes three or four times a day right up to the last minute before the team left Bude for the unknown, the girls had done all they could to prepare.

They arrived in London and were immediately faced with young fit male teams from all over the world, Russia, USA (charming American actor Josh Duhamel had also entered a United States team) Canada, South America, Holland Germany and of course the British teams, 15 teams in total. The opposition looked even tougher than their photos had suggested!

Drambluie Rinse was the only female team to have entered throughout the event's five year history and there was only one other young female in this year's event. Even more apprehensive after meeting everybody the girls just vowed they would give it their all.

Most of the international teams qualified for the event by their physical achievement, unlike the British who were voted in for their charity campaigns. Friday evening brought archery. The first event was very nerve racking, but the team finished mid table. A great start.

After a freezing night camping they had yet another 5am start, the first part of the challenge was a short off road run to collect a box that contained a bottle of Drambuie which had to be carried from the Isle of Skye to Inverness by each team.

Stage two was a very speedy relay race in Zapcats, again mid-table in spite of seaweed fouling the D R's propeller.

Stage three consisted of a mountain bike hill climb which Jess Lynes completed in an excellent time. Jess then had to tag Isobel Waterhouse, Irene Thomson and Bridget Funnell before they could embark on the hill run/walk/ scramble/ rockclimb to the top of Boc Baeg, before abseiling down the cliff face and then a speedy run back down the mountain just like mountain goats!

Even though the team had practised all of the other disciplines there was one that nobody had ever tried. — white water rafting. The team did well and weren't dunked like a few other teams. Determined not to get upended in the 'boiling' ice cold water they managed to finish this event in sixth place. They would have done better if they hadn't had to carry the raft up a steep

slippery bank and across the finish line for that stage.

The girls went on to the mountain bike course, Irene led the way through a rough, tough course with some north shore boardwalks to manoeuvre part of the

national course again achieving a much better position than they expected.

On to the Rage Buggies. The team knew if they just took it steady and didn't pick up any penalty points they could actually beat the boys at their own game, the hare and tortoise syndrome worked and once again the girls finished mid table.

Putting all the points together the Drambluie Rinse team was to start the final stages of the race in ninth place. This stage consisted of a Canadian Canoe

paddle and then the run through Inverness to the finish line.

Having practiced a lot with the canoe they were quietly confident and managed to overtake two other teams on the Ness, finally running through the streets carrying the box of Drambuie, the girls crossed the

finish line totally elated.

The Dutch team won the event with the charming RAF team not too far behind in second place, Drambluie Rinse finished in an extremely respectable

position — seventh place and were ecstatic, far higher than they had ever dared hope for.

Bridget and the team extended their thanks to all of the people involved, businesses, friends and family for advice, support and help with training.

Bridget said: "And most importantly, every single person who voted for us to win the money for

Cornwall Air Ambulance, thank you!"