Three young City of Leeds divers are swapping springboards for walking boots as they take on Ingleborough, the highest peak in Yorkshire, to raise £3,000 for vital training equipment.
Ryan, Paige and Zack, who each train four days a week with City of Leeds Diving Club based at the John Charles Centre for Sport in South Leeds, will lead fellow divers and their families up the Yorkshire peak on Sunday 6 September 2026, turning their own fundraising idea into a challenge for the wider diving community.
Their challenge, From the Pool to the Peaks, aims to raise £3,000 towards new dry-land training equipment and the maintenance and replacement of heavily used diving equipment.
The trio came up with the idea because they wanted to give something back to the club where they spend much of their week, while creating a challenge the wider diving community could take on together.
At the summit, the group plans to raise the City of Leeds Diving Club flag above Ingleborough.
City of Leeds Diving Club supports more than 100 divers every week, with a pathway stretching from children taking their first steps in the sport through to elite international athletes.
The money raised will help fund equipment including gym mats and training blocks, alongside the maintenance of springboards, harnesses and other equipment used day in, day out by the club’s divers.
Nicola Drinkall, Ryan’s mum and one of the organisers of the challenge, said:
“The idea really came from the children. They spend so much of their week at the diving club and wanted to do something themselves to give something back.
“We’re incredibly proud that they have taken that idea and turned it into something the whole diving community can get behind.
“The equipment gets a huge amount of use and is important for divers at every level, from children just starting out to those competing at the highest level. This challenge is about helping the club, but it is also about bringing everyone together and showing the team spirit that exists beyond the pool.”
Ryan, Paige and Zack said:
“We all love diving and spend a lot of time at the club, so we wanted to do something to help.
“Climbing Ingleborough will be a big challenge, but we wanted to do something we could take on together with our diving friends and families.
“We’re really excited to get everyone to the top and raise the City of Leeds Diving flag at the summit. Hopefully we can raise lots of money for the club at the same time.”
While City of Leeds Diving Club has a proud history of developing Olympic and international divers, it also provides opportunities for young people across Leeds to discover the sport, develop their skills and be part of a supportive sporting community.
Fundraising helps the not-for-profit club invest in the equipment and facilities needed to keep those opportunities available to young people.
The team is now asking people and businesses across Leeds and Yorkshire to get behind the challenge by donating or sharing the campaign.
You can support From the Pool to the Peaks at: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/we-will-climb-mountains
This post is based on a press release issued by City of Leeds Diving Club
Photo: Ryan, Paige and Zac
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