In November 2017, my close friend, Joe Harris, tragically passed away whilst undertaking charity work in South Africa. Joe was one of my closest friends throughout my time at university and uni would not have been the same without him. I'm not sure I would have made it through university without him and his constant advice and encouragement! Joe was truly one of a kind and one of the funniest, most caring and genuine guys you could meet. He never failed to have a smile on his face and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.

Joe was an avid sportsman throughout his life (I am not just talking about the 3am jog back to campus from Leamington!). He cycled, ran and played rugby, and was a passionate member of the Warwick University Lacrosse Club. However, where he truly excelled was as a triathlete, representing Great Britain at the 2012 Under 20 World Championships. It is for this reason that I, along with many other of his friends and family, will be aiming to complete the Stratford Triathlon in his memory. 

We will be raising money for the Dominic Beer Memorial Trust, a charity which Joe was a trustee of. The charity was set up in honour of Dominic Beer, Joe's uncle, and aims to support projects or research that will benefit people suffering from severe mental illness.