Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.

On the 19^th August 2007 I will undertake a full Ironman Triathlon event. This I am doing both as a personal challenge but also to try and raise sponsorship for Saint Francis Hospital, Katete, Zambia.

What is an Ironman?

It is the ultimate triathlon event comprising of:

            2.4 mile swim (3.8 Km, that is 152 lengths of a 25m pool)

            112 mile bike ride (180 Km, that is just under  Leeds to Birmingham)

A full marathon 26.2 miles (42Km)

Each of these would be a challenge beyond most people. To do them consecutively is going to take an enormous amount of training and determination.

(visit: www.ironmanuk.com)

What is Saint Francis Hospital?

This is a fantastic hospital in a poor area of one of the world’s poorest countries. St Francis is on the outskirts of  a town called Katete, in the eastern province of Zambia.

This is an area great African beauty, near the Luangwa National Parks. It is though an area of profound poverty exacerbated by droughts, childhood disease, AIDS and TB. Rural Zambia is one of the areas in the world where average life expectancy for a five year old is higher than a newborn! This is a  reflection of the obscene infant mortality rates. Even at the age of five life expectancy is only to the age of 45 years!

I spent my eight week Medical Student elective there and was amazed at how much good medical work can be done with so little. I have remained a supporter of the hospital ever since.

St Francis serves a local population of around 200,000 and is the specialist referral hospital for around 1.5 million. Part of the funding to run the hospital comes from the Zambian Government but this is far, far short of enough to enable the hospital to undertake its excellent work. Donations make up the rest of the funding.

(visit: www.saintfrancishospital.net) 

I ask you to dig deep and help with a donation that will reflect the training and suffering I will go through but more importantly a donation that will truly go a long way to benefit fellow human beings in an underprivileged health situation.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Zambia Anglican Council Charitable Trust will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Update on 20th August: Mission accomplished in rather poor weather. I'd hoped for under 13hours total, dreamed of perhaps sub 12 hour completion. I could not believe the 10 hour 55 min finish I acheived. I'm still pinching myself in case this was a dream. The significant pain in my thighs and general weariness assure me though yesterday was very, very real.

Update on 20th September: Totting up all the various monies that have come in from around 500 kind people, when the Gift Aid is added in, we have just cleared the £20,000 mark. ZACCT is going to use some or most of this money to set in an investment training fund for St Francis Hospital. This means using the annual yield from the invested money staff from Sainty can be trained further. A reent example being the conversion of a pharmacy technician to a full pharmacist (much neede by the hospital). The fund is also a good nest egg for potentially difficult years ahead.

Even though target has been met, don't hold back - sponsor me now!

Thank you.

James Hall