Team Louise triumphs!

OK, so we only borrowed the winners podium for the photo but it was still a great day for Team Louise. Spurred on by some noisy support from Chris, Andrea, Nats, Joe, Sue & Kirsty (undeterred by the very early start - we were in the 1st wave and had to be in the water for 8am) John was first across the finishing line in a time of 1 hour 23 minutes and 45 seconds, in 210th place out of 838 starters, a great result for his first triathlon. Barry was next to finish in 380th place in 1.29.13, a much quicker time than expected. Martin's time of 1.42.45 though was much the greater achievement given that he had lost over 10 lbs in the two weeks prior to the event, having picked up a nasty parasitic infection during his final open water training session, which confined him to bed and bathroom for much of the run-up. Thankfully a course of antibiotics got him to the start and support from the St John's ambulance carried him through a severe bout of cramp two-thirds into the swim. A gritty and determined performance entirely in the spirit of Louise's memory.

Finally a very big thank-you to everyone who has sponsored our efforts to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust - a tremendous contribution which is very much appreciated. You're all stars! 

Barry, John & Martin

On Saturday, 18th September Barry, John and Martin will be competing in the Tatton Park triathlon in memory of Louise Wood and in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The triathlon is officially (and we think rather amusingly) described as a Sprint distance - a 750 metre open water swim around Tatton Mere followed by a 19km bike ride and a 5km run. We're all novices and needless to say we will not be troubling the elite triathletes who will finish inside 1 hour 10 minutes. John, with the confidence of youth and 30 odd years less wear and tear to hold him back, is aiming for somewhere close to 1 hour 20 minutes. The 'seniors' will be happy to get inside 1 hour 40 minutes - which might just mean a top 3 finish in the 55 to 60 age category (given that there were only two finishers last year then one of us at least stands a chance!). Training has been tough going - Barry has had to get his knees used to running again after 20 odd years in the saddle (cycling that is) whilst Martin has had to stretch his personal best at swimming to well beyond two lengths of the local pool! 

This challenge is in memory of Martin and Christine's daughter Louise, who died 10 years ago this October aged 17, just two months after undergoing a heart and lung transplant. It was Louise's decision to have the operation and a typically courageous one. Louise was a great inspiration to everyone who knew her - she made as few concessions as possible for her condition, very rarely complained or let it get her down and lived her life to the full. She was an accomplished horse rider, a fearless thrill seeker with a great sense of fun and in spite of long periods of absence from school still managed to gain five good GCSE grades. Her Child of Achievement award, presented by former Prime Minister John Major in 1998, was richly deserved - recognition not only of her success in completing a sponsored 3 mile stage of the New York marathon but also of her indomitable spirit.

Our chosen charity is the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which not only provides invaluable support to those who have the condition but is also very active in medical research to find better treatments. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition, with around 1 in every 25 of the population a carrier of the faulty gene. There is a 1 in 4 chance of any baby born to two carrier parents having the condition - that's 5 babies born in the UK every week. CF is characterised by a build up of mucus in the lungs, which causes severe infections, and problems with digestion and it is degenerative. There is no cure but the faulty gene has been identified and more effective treatments are being developed all the time. Life expectancy has improved dramatically over recent years and great progress is being made. It's a really worthwhile cause where extra funding really does make a difference.  Please do follow the link to the Cystic Fibrosis web-site http://www.cftrust.org.uk/ to find out more.         

Finally, many thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page and we hope you will also wish to make a donation by sponsoring us.

Barry, John & Martin

PS: John has 'got the bug' and is planning several other challenges with various friends, including a Ben Nevis mountain run and 'Survival of the Fittest' event in October, the 'Tough Guy' challenge next January, and a body waxing (ouch!) in Sheffield in a couple of weeks time to help promote the various challenges. For more info and web links please visit (and maybe donate instead?) to his web-site:

http://www.justgiving.com/enduranceforcharity

PPS: 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.