Pupils from a school in Lincoln are aiming to play a game of football at a higher altitude than has ever been done before.
Twenty-six students from Lincoln Minster School will climb to the summit of Mount Chachani in Peru, where they hope to play football match at an altitude of 6,000 metres.
Lincoln City will be represented in the unique world record attempt, as they have donated kit and footballs to ensure the everyone looks their best during the match.
As well as the world record attempt, the team plans to visit local communities and engage in cultural exchanges, including football matches against local mixed-gender teams across their 12-day trip.
Tom Eves, the school’s head of faculty for sport, said: “The children have worked really hard to make this trip happen, raising money at events over many years.
“It’s a great opportunity to visit new cultures and engage with other communities, to see how they lead their lives. These pupils will gain an experience they will be proud of for many years to come.
“The football club is right at the heart of the community, so it’s a huge privilege for us to be able to wear the shirts of Lincoln City during the match – it’s really the cherry on top for us.”
Jason Futers, Lincoln City’s chief growth and innovation officer, said: “When we learned they needed equipment, we were very happy to help and I can’t wait to see the photos and videos of their adventure, especially of them representing Lincoln City Football Club in a world record attempt.”
A number of students visited the LNER Stadium to receive the match kit, and get a tour behind the scenes to see what a matchday looks like for a professional footballer.
Lincoln Minster School student Harry Hall said: “As a team and school we’re excited to try and set a world record. It’s a competitive challenge for us, we’ve worked as a team to get this far. I’m really excited to explore a new part of the world, to see how they live and try some new food.”
Another student, Esme Allsopp, added: “I’m very excited to go to Lima, then to climb Mount Chachani. The whole culture will be very different to Lincoln which I’m really looking forward to – I can’t wait to see what people wear and eat.
“After the mountain climb we’ll be tired and we’ve been told about the challenges the altitude will put on our bodies. At our age to potentially set a new world record is something I don’t think many of us would have expected to do, it’s a great personal and team challenge.”
Feature Image Credit: Chris Vaughan / Lincoln City