A North-east based social enterprise has been awarded the Certificate of Participation to recognise their important contribution to a Guinness World Records title.
The fastest cycle journey of the Pan-American Highway was completed by Dean Stott who travelled from Ushuaia, Argentina to Prudhose Bay, Alaska, in 99 days, 12 hours and 56 minutes from, February 1 to May 22, 2018.
Throughout his epic journey, Dean slept on a Glencraft luxury mattress. To help Dean succeed on his journey, Glencraft donated a custom made Merida Mattress for Dean to sleep on for preparation and during his challenge. The importance of sleep in relation to performance is often overlooked and is in fact a significant factor.
Glencraft is one of the longest-established mattress manufacturers in the UK. Founded in Scotland and with its roots firmly in the North-east, it is a social enterprise which has continually strived to craft the highest quality products for 175 years.
Dean was a part of the elite selection of UK Special Forces Soldiers. However, in 2010, Dean required reconstructive knee surgery after a devastating accident. Incapable of taking part in even the most basic of tasks, Dean was left physically and psychologically like a ‘broken soldier’.
He left the military in 2011 and went onto to have a highly distinguished career in the private security sector. Dean has been at the forefront of the world’s most dangerous environments. Dean later took a step back from the security industry after seeing the effect his career was having on his family.
He decided he wanted to take on a new challenge, something that would push him both physically and mentally. In a conversation with Prince Harry, known to him from military service, Dean was introduced to Heads Together, a mental health campaign driven by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry himself.
With the backing of Prince Harry, Dean completely smashed the previous cycle journey record of the Pan-American Highway, and also set the goal to raise one million pounds for Heads Together foundation.
Since 1843, Glencraft has been manufacturing the finest, luxury mattress. Every Glencraft bed and mattress is built from the highest quality material, from individually coiled springs, felted wools, cottons, natural horsehair, alpaca, silks and cashmere which are handcrafted by skilled craftspeople, many of whom are disabled or disadvantaged.
Glencraft products can be found in Royal Residences, having served four generations of the Royal Family. The company is incredibly proud to be a holder of the prestigious Royal Warrant by appointment to Her Majesty The Queen and takes great pride in this, one of only two companies in the UK within the sector.
Whilst processes have evolved over the years, Glencraft’s passion for manufacturing has endured the test of time and it is proud to use ethically-sourced materials when handcrafting mattresses at its Aberdeen-based factory.
The same mattress that Dean used for his heroic journey, The Merida, can be found as part of our luxury range. This horsehair layered luxury mattress is handcrafted with a pocket spring design. The 50mm, extra deep, layer of supportive horsehair controls temperature and moves moisture away from the body. The luxury quilted soft top creates a cushion of comprehensive comfort with intricate detailing. It's been described as the most comfortable mattress you will ever own.
Managing director, Graham McWilliam, said: “The team here at Glencraft Luxury were delighted to be able to help Dean during and prior to, his record-breaking cycle.
It was evident in our conversations with Dean that sleep and a recovery period were important factors and we’re proud to have helped in some way with his awesome achievement”.
