With sponsorships limited and some girls being students, fundraising has become increasingly important to support the squad ahead of the upcoming season.

In response, coaches Alex and Matt took it upon themselves to raise money for the girls by setting physical challenges to generate donations and awareness.

The original idea was to complete a marathon from Test Park to Winchester’s ground, which is where the Sirens were meant to be playing that weekend and back again. However, following changes to the fixture schedule and kick-off time, it was no longer possible.

Rather than scrap the idea entirely, the challenge evolved.

Matt completed 140km of training across seven days, working with his coach to structure the week properly and ensure the load was manageable while Alex was also helping him do this challenge.

The final totals were impressive to say the least:

Distance: 157.62km

Swim: 8.275km

Bike: 117.36km

Run: 31.91km

Calories burned: 6,552

Average heart rate: 142.2 bpm

Max heart rate: 185 bpm

The week required consistency, discipline and lots of resilience but the challenge was completed successfully and they even exceeded the original planned distance.

Together, their efforts raised just under £200 to support the squad for the remainder of the season.

The challenge highlighted not only the commitment of the coaching staff to performance on the pitch but also their dedication to supporting the players off it.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated and supported the fundraiser as your contributions make a real difference.