In a unique charity event for the Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M) Foundation, Ed Jackson and Ross Stirling have undertaken the epic challenge of pulling a brand new Kia Picanto ‘GT-Line’ as far as possible, on foot, within 24 hours – ultimately finishing the pull having dragged the car more than 30 miles.
Fortunately for Ed and Ross, the car in question was Kia’s new Picanto; the smallest and lightest in the brand’s comprehensive UK model line-up, with a kerb weight of just under a tonne (985kg), pulling it for more than 30 miles over 24 gruelling hours is no small achievement, reflected by the £12k raised for the M2M Foundation by Jackson and Stirling.
Provided by FJ Chalke Kia in Mere, Wiltshire, the Picanto ‘GT-Line’, the more sporty trim-level of the A-segment model’s family, is less accustomed to travelling at an average speed of 1.25mph. The new Picanto is capable of achieving a top speed of 90mph – unsurprisingly, however, not when being pulled along by human strength alone.
George Clarke, the Dealer Principle and Director at FJ Chalke, said, “We were delighted to be approached by Lois and Ed to ask if we could assist with this year’s M2M Christmas Challenge and knew we had the perfect 1-tonne car in our range to support them. Ed and Ross’ accomplishment, along with the work the charity completes, is inspirational and something we’re proud to be part of. This sense of adventure and relentless desire to achieve high standards aligns perfectly with FJ Chalke and Kia. Well done, Ed and Ross, we hope you’re able to put your feet up over Christmas.”
Throughout the challenge, a number of musical artists joined Jackson and Stirling, however from within the car, whilst they dragged it along behind them. While this added more weight to Kia’s city-car in question, it provided Late Late Show style laughs and entertainment for everybody along the way, echoing the ‘Carpool Karaoke’ segment of the aforementioned James Corden-hosted US late night talk show.
To add perspective to this achievement, in 2017, Ed Jackson, following a career as a professional athlete, broke his neck in a diving accident and was later told in hospital he would have to adapt to life as a quadriplegic. Summoning determination, Ed focused on rehabilitation, despite being told he would never walk again. Since then, Ed has defied medical opinion, summitting mountains and becoming a champion for adaptive adventure, leading a number of projects to improve accessibility to the outdoors for those with physical limitations and disabilities. Together with his wife Lois, Ed co-founded the M2M Foundation.
Post-Picanto-Pull, Ed commented, “Wow, that was a challenge and a half. Every year, we love spreading some Christmas cheer by taking on something a bit daft, and this might just have been our toughest one yet! A huge shoutout to Kia and FJ Chalke for donating the car—not only did it look fantastic, but it made the journey from Somerset to the airfield an absolute breeze. Thank you!”
Ross Stirling has been applying creative thinking and an imaginative spin to charity events for more than 15 years. A global creative for War Child and a trustee for the M2M Foundation, Ross has raised more than £1 million for charity to date. A grammy-nominated, award winning creative director, Stirling founded Studio Juice, which he ran for 16 years, working with some of the world’s biggest acts and brands. These days, he is Creative Director of tvg hospitality, the quickest growing music venue operator in the US.
Reflecting upon the challenge, Ross Stirling said, “When it comes to fundraisers, I knew this one would be a real mental challenge. Pushing through at 4am in complete darkness was tough, but the incredible supporters who showed up in the morning gave us the energy to keep going! A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors and everyone who contributed—you all made this possible!”
The pull commenced at Bovingdon Airfield at 15:00 GMT on Friday, 20 December, and Ed and Ross, accompanied by the trusty Kia Picanto, crossed the finish line 24 hours later, having covered a gruelling 30 miles – but with the satisfaction of having raised more than £12,000 for the M2M foundation.