Here we are - the Grandson and Granddad team of Alex Power and Mike Power who are both in this year’s Swim, Bike, Run London Triathlon on 6 August, to raise money for the charity ‘War Child’. And we’re doing it in memory of Alex’s Great Granddad, and Mike’s Dad, Bill Power, who was killed-in-action, age 31, in the Normandy landings in World War Two in 1944. 

Alex, who’s a fit and strapping sixth form student, is doing the full Olympic triathlon of 1,500m swim, 40k bike ride and 10k run. While his less fit, and decidedly “un-hench”, Granddad is doing the super sprint, which is a quarter of each distance. The picture at the top shows us at Ronnie Scott’s where we launched our joint effort. 

We’ve set an ambitious fundraising target, but are hopeful that we’ll break through it. Mike’s five earlier triathlons raised a total of £25,000 for War Child. So we know there’s a lot of support out there.Between us we’re putting in a lot of training and exercise, so we hope you’ll generously sponsor us. We feel strongly about the need for the vital work of War Child, who are helping traumatised, and often orphaned, children in many war zones, especially now in Ukraine. 

This will be Alex’s first triathlon and Mike’s sixth. So, to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca: “Alex, this could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership”. Hopefully, next year on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings we’ll involve some more family members – watch this space. 

Thanks a lot for visiting our fundraising page, and best wishes from Alex and Mike