Welcome to my page devoted to the Ironman challenge of 2015! PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY to the Meningitis Research Foundation.

I DID IT!! A huge thank you to all who who supported me - I could NOT have done it without you! 13 hours 23 minutes was my time:

2.4-mile swim: 1 hour 38 minutes

112-mile bike ride: 7 hours 9 minutes

26.2-mile marathon: 4 hours 15 minutes

Here is my initial post, before the event:

At 6am on 19 July 2015 I will set out on the toughest challenge of my life: to complete the Ironman UK triathlon. This long-distance endurance event consists of a 2.4 mile open-water swim (3.8km), 112-mile bike ride (180km), 26.2-mile run (42.2km), all in under 17 hours! The Ironman is the toughest one-day multi-discipline event in the world, and I will push myself to the physical and mental limit in my quest to get around the 140.6-mile course.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Why this charity? Because I suffered from severe bacterial meningitis as a 3-month-old baby, and on three separate occasions I nearly passed away. I then developed pericarditis, and the area around my heart filled with fluid that needed to be drained. I have two scars on my back from the operation. As if this wasn't enough for my poor parents, I contracted severe pneumonia and had to spend a long time in hospital before I recovered.

At the worst moments, the doctors gave me a 5% percent chance of survival, and also feared I would end up with permanent impaired hearing, balance problems or other brain damage if I did pull through.

But here I am, fit and healthy, and I want to say a big Thank You to the community that saved me by supporting the Meningitis Research Foundation. With your help I can! So please give generously, support the cause, and help me get around the Ironman course!

There's lots more information about my journey towards the Ironman on my webpage, so please take a look at: www.andrewashwin.com/p/ironman-2015.html

Thank you!

Ironman: "You Will Do This"