As you may be able to make out from the photo, getting up at 4am on a Sunday morning to swim, cycle and run around in the pouring rain doesn't do much for a girl's looks . . .

I managed to finish the the Bedford Triathlon on 3rd October in 1hr, 46m and 23s. It was very wet and windy, and I was chased by a dog on the run section, so I was pretty pleased when it was over ! Thank you to everyone who has made a donation: it is much appreciated and the thought of the sponsorship money going to such a good cause was a great spur to keep going. A special thank you, too, to the wonderful Anonymous donor who helped me achieve my target amount.

I would love to raise even more money for Volunteer Reading Help (VRH). VRH is a national charity that recruits, trains and supports volunteer reading helpers to work with children in primary schools. I have been volunteering for the past year, helping at a Waltham Forest school to provide informal one-to-one literacy support for children who lack confidence in or struggle with their reading. I may have gone on about it a bit, so you might already know how much I’ve enjoyed it, and how I believe that VRH really can make a difference to children’s lives.

Thanks for your support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.