*** UPDATE*** I'm very pleased to say I reached my personal target of completing the triathlon in under 3 hours :) .. I crossed the finish line, hot, sweaty but very very pleased in 2 hours, 56 minutes and 57 seconds after I set off in the water. My times were:

Swim (1.5K) 34mins 13secs
Bike (40K) 1 hour 24 mins 18 secs
Run (10K) 46 minutes 44 secs
Remember.. its not too late to donate :) Here's a reminder.. Thank you.

..and here I am crossing the finish line

Hello All...

On Sunday Aug 2nd 2009, I'll be donning my neoprene, lycra and bodyglide to take part in the London Olympic Distance Triathlon... which is a 1.5KM swim, a 40KM bike ride and 10KM run... So, please think of me at 14.40pm, wetsuitted up, goggles on, jostling for space with 450 others in my wave in the Victoria dock..

Please help me to use this challenge (..major surgery on 2 limbs in the last 5 years, and no longer the spring chicken I was :) ...) to ease some suffering by some of the poorest people with no means to medical attention. Many people in this region survive on  less than $1/day and those are the healthy ones who can work.

I'm raising money for the Noor Foundation UK, a UK based charity (of which I am a founder and volunteer) that operates free dialysis centres in developing countries. Since 1998, we've opened 17 free dialysis centres in Pakistan, with £1,000,000 worth of dialysis machines, delivering 5,000 free dialysis treatments a month.

One dialysis treatment costs £12, so mulitiples (or sub-multiples!) of £12 would be more meaningful to you as donors. Each patient receives 9 dialysis treatments a month so you can imagine what colossal task it really is to continue to help save the lives of these poor people. 
 
The best bit is - the charity is run by a group of friends and family and not one single penny is spent on administration, marketing, expenses or admin. So that means every penny you donate goes towards the cost of lifesaving dialysis equipment and treatment

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Noor Foundation UK gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

Thanks

Kashif