Strakka's Nick Leventis Aiming High

Strakka Racing's Nick Leventis in bid to set another record

Strakka Racing has already had an extraordinary record-breaking season. The team's victorious run in the Le Mans 24 Hours set a new benchmark for LMP2 in terms of distance covered, best lap time and overall finishing position, and was followed by an unprecedented outright win in the Hungaroring 1000 Kilometres a fortnight ago.

Not satisfied with going faster or further than anyone else in his chosen sport, Strakka Racing driver Nick Leventis is now aiming to go higher as well. In October Nick will be attempting to set a new altitude record for a free-fall jump over Mount Everest in the Himalayas. Alongside Guinness World Record champion skydiver and cinematographer Wendy Smith, who will be filming the descent, Nick will be aiming to leap from a height of more than 30,000 feet, not only to establish a new record, but also to raise awareness and funds for a children's charity that is very close to his heart.

Strakka's HPD racecar has carried the logo for the Global Angels charity all season, and the distinctive emblem is embroidered on the driver's race suits and all team kit. Founded in 2003 by Molly Bedingfield., Global Angels is an international charitable foundation championing the causes of children and young people all across the world, helping in the development of creative and sustainable solutions to issues such as poverty, hunger and deprivation.

Inspired by Molly's work, Nick became a Global Angels "Ambassador" earlier this year, and in July he and his wife Sophie travelled to Mae Sot, a town in northern Thailand on the border with Burma, to visit one of the projects that Global Angels supports through the Thai Children's Trust.

"Our hearts went out to the refugee children we met there," explained Nick. "Tens of thousands of children live in harsh conditions in shacks or squalid boarding houses, with too little food, and rudimentary schools. It is hard to believe that they are safer and better cared for in Thailand than in their own country, but they have fled a brutal government and an endless civil war. Some are with their parents, but many are orphans. We met one girl whose mother had been killed by a landmine and her father shot by the Burmese army. Some children have run away after being conscripted as soldiers, porters or human minesweepers. Burma has more child soldiers than any other country in the world."

The visit convinced Nick and Sophie that they wanted to do more for the children of Mae Sot, and Nick's sponsored skydive is one way he can raise the funds to help feed, clothe and educate these resilient but desperately needy children. Nick is not new to skydiving and has made several jumps before, but he will be completing a training exercise in France later this month ahead of the record attempt in Nepal at the end of October.

Please, step up to the mark and be an Angel. If you would like to support Nick in his skydive, and help the children of Mae Sot, please visit the Global Angels website, where you can pledge your support and make a donation. The full 100% of all money donated to Global Angels goes to the cause - there are no administrative fees or overheads.

-source: strakka