The Team

The Sailors

Mike Pickering - Skipper

As a teenager Mike trained with youth racing squads at a regional and national level, and campaigned at national & international dinghy regattas. While at University, Mike expanded his sailing experience through yacht racing (Helm, Tactician & Trimmer) and acted as Umpire at team and match racing events regionally and nationally.

After graduation in 2009, he turned sailing into a profession, working in both European and Caribbean waters on anything from 140ft super yachts to 33ft race yachts. Recently Mike has excelled in yacht racing on the highly competitive UK circuit forging a promising career as a race tactician.

Mel King - Co Skipper

After 14 years as Senior Marketing Manager at Hargreaves Lansdown, Mel left the corporate world to compete as a world rounder in the 2007 Clipper Yacht Race.

As Watch Leader on board Clipper Nova Scotia, Mel's passion for adventure racing was truly confirmed and looking for a new challenge, Mel rowed across the Atlantic in 2009. The frozen wilderness of the North and South Poles is where Mel will be heading to next, but not before a quick race up the West Coast of the UK in June!

Adam Jackson - Crew

Adam is Chartered Surveyor by profession and works in the Manchester office of Lambert Smith Hampton where he specialises in the disposal and acquisition of office premises for funds, property companies and corporate occupiers across the North West.

Passionate about the great outdoors, Adam started his sailing adventures racing GP14's and Lasers. It is now yachts, rather than dinghies, that capture Adam's attention and the Three Peaks Yacht Race has been a challenge he's fancied ever since his sand castle building days on the beaches of Barmouth where the race starts each year.

The Runners

Tim Austin - Fell Runner

Tim is a Director at Lambert Smith Hampton as well as an international level mountain runner having represented the UK on several occasions.

He's recently started a successful career in adventure racing and has notched up top three places in the Elite OMM, LAMM, Hagloff Mountain Marathon and last year completed the Across Scotland Challenge East-West in just over nine hours!

Tim has just signed for Hagloff Planet Fear to race in this year's world adventure racing championships.

Natalie White - Fell Runner

International mountain runner, Natalie White, has a long list of achievements including a top 14 finish in the World Mountain Running Championships, back to back England and UK fell running titles as well as wins in the OMM and Hagloff Mountain Marathon. Lake District based (where else!) she works for Inov8 and is sure to give Tim a run for his money!

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