Volunteer Lifeboat crews are often a tight-knit group of people, many of them spending most of their lives in the pursuit of saving lives at sea. My friend Paul, better known to all in the RNLI as 'Flipper', was, and remains, quite simply a life boating legend.

Having myself served on this crew for 6 years now, this pales into insignificance when one considers that Paul joined the crew in 1982 (the year I was born), and voluntarily served for 30 consecutive years. He launched on service over 1600 times, saving the lives of over 100 people. As a younger and less experienced mariner, there was no better character, person or role model to help me, and countless others, learn our craft. Paul’s amazing full story can be found here .

Paul sadly died of cancer last year at the all too young age of 52; over 600 people attended his funeral in Poole. Paul is succeeded by his son, Lewis, as a training member of Poole Lifeboat crew. This year, I intend to raise some funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, who helped a great deal with Paul’s family during their long drawn out battle with his illness, him being confined to bed at home for over a year. As a keen cyclist and rower myself, formerly an International oarsman, I have planned to take on the following four challenges – four very long days -  during August and October in Paul's memory. I am trying to raise £1600 - representing £1 for every time that Paul launched on service with the Lifeboat.

August 10^th - Iron Distance Triathlon event at Poole Lifeboat Station

As part of Poole Lifeboat Station’s annual open day, I will be attempting a unique ‘Ironman’ distance triathlon – a 4mile rescue board paddle in Poole harbour, a 112mile bike ride around Dorset, followed by a 26.2 mile ‘marathon’ rowed on an indoor rowing machine at the Lifeboat Station. I estimate this will take me somewhere between 11 and 12 hours from start to finish. I’ve done the three disciplines and distances on their own before, but never mixed together in an event like this.

August 23^rd – 12 hour static bike ‘turbo’ challenge, Swindon

Alongside my close friend Neil, who survived testicular cancer ten years ago, I’ll be attempting to complete a continuous 12-hour ride on a static cycle ‘turbo trainer’. This might be tricky, right at the edge (or beyond) my personal endurance. The longest ride I have ever done to date is 8 hours.

August 31^st – Classic middle distance triathlon, Cotswold water park

I will be completing this as a relay event – myself swimming 1.2 miles open water then cycling a 56 mile time trial. Neil’s wife Alexa will be completing the relay by running the half marathon at the end.

October 25^th – Snowdonia long distance Quadrathlon

Another unique event, alongside Neil and RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Rob Sheard, we’ll be attempting an ambitious double ascent of Mount Snowdon – with a twist; Starting with a 60 mile bike ride to the base of the mountain, we’ll then complete a 3km rescue board paddle on the lake before climbing the mountain on foot – stopping at the end of the first descent to do an icy 400m swim in the lake before climbing back over Snowdon again to where the bike ride originally finished. If the weather is kind and conditions safe enough, this’ll probably take us around 8 – 10 hours to complete.