Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s that time of year when the urge to swim/bike/run comes upon me and I rush to lug my aging body about the place in a desperate attempt to fool myself into believing that I am still a young man. However, this year I’ve decided that my motivation should be a lot less fatuous than my usual self interest and so inspired by my late sister in-law Melanie Wright, I’ve decided to put her dedication and support for a group of children and their school in Bagdad together with my midlife crisis to help generate some much needed funds for its continued running. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kindness above dogmatic belief was one of Mel’s defining features and this quality was recognised by the school children themselves when they came to naming their new classroom. They choose to call it Melanie. So, it makes sense to me to turn my triathlon challenge (remarkably easier than those faced by the children of the school) into one that continues what Mel so enthusiastically started. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While the charity that oversees the running of the school has a broad remit with regard to reconciliation in the Middle East, any sponsorship you undertake will go directly to the School.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Right, so for those that want to support the school and want their pennies worth out of me, quite right too, I’m picking 3 events that I promise to do to earn your sponsorship. They are as follows:</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Blenheim Triathlon – this is a sprint distance event and consists of a 750m swim, a 20km bike leg, and a 5km run. I’ll be doing this on June 4<sup>rd</sup> at Blenheim in Oxfordshire (<a href="http://www.theblenheimtriathlon.com">www.theblenheimtriathlon.com</a>)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The London Triathlon – this is a standard or Olympic distant triathlon and consists of a 1500m swim, a 40km bike leg, and a 10km run. This event takes place on July 31<sup>st</sup> in and around the docklands of east London (<a href="http://www.thelondontriathlon.com">www.thelondontriathlon.com</a>)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Vitruvian – this a middle distance or half ironman and consists of a 1900m swim, an 85km bike leg and 21km run (half marathon). This final effort takes place at Rutland Water in Leicestershire on 3<sup>rd</sup> September. (<a href="http://www.pacesetterevents.com/vitruvian-triathlon.php">www.pacesetterevents.com/vitruvian-triathlon.php</a>)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can also find me at:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work - Jesus College, Cambridge. CB5 8BL</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Home - Under Chestnuts, High Street, Fowlmere, Herts. SG8 7SJ. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Email – </span><a href="mailto:ashley@templemere.net"><span style="font-family: Calibri; color: #0000ff; font-size: small;">ashley@templemere.net</span></a></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Mobile - 07917535958</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: #595959; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></p>