FITNESS fanatics have put their endurance to the test for Operation Santa Claus, competing in an aerobathon and mini-triathlon to raise funds for runaways and schoolchildren in China.
The Spa at the Square at Exchange Square, operated by FPD Sportathlon, hosted an exercise day to support the RTHK/South China Morning Post fundraiser, and for four hours teams battled it out in the gym.
Four teams of four - from FPD Sportathlon, Deacons Graham & James, Coutts & Co, and the Excelsior Gym - sweated over a combination of running, cycling and rowing, followed by a gruelling endurance test of situps, press-ups and tricep dips.
Director of Fitness at the Spa, Claire Beeley said the competition was taken 'very, very seriously'.
'It was a bit of a whirlwind, it went down really well. Everyone in the teams were very serious about fitness. They really got into the spirit of raising money,' she said.
Last year Spa members raised more than $120,000 for Operation Santa Claus, which this year is raising funds for two charities - Youth Outreach and Sowers Action.
Youth Outreach provides crisis intervention for runaways and their families, and Sowers Action, a Hong Kong-based charity, aims to improve education for children in the mainland.