At the start of this year, Toby couldn't swim as far as he could hit a tennis ball and Tanya had hardly ridden a bike without training wheels - it was going to be a huge undertaking! After breaking her neck and being close to paralysed 3 years ago, despite the doctors doubting a return to sport, Tanya has made a full recovery. Since having completed the London Marathon >15 years ago, Toby has spent more time on the dance floor than training for any sport.

Inspired by friends, and seeking a challenge, early this year we decided to sign up for the iconic Laguna Phuket Triathlon on November 19th 2017. It is a tough race, longer than a standard olympic distance race; comprising of a 1.8km swim, 50km cycle followed by a 12km run - to top it off, all in +30 degree heat! We have chosen to raise funds for the following two causes, because we feel strongly about what they stand for:

HELP BETSY SEE - brain tumour research

In 2016, a daughter of a childhood friend of Toby's was diagnosed with a brain tumour - a diffuse optic nerve glioma. The location of Betsy's tumour means her vision is severely impaired, and unfortunately the tumour is inoperable. They are undergoing an 18 month chemotherapy plan to try and shrink the tumour but, whilst the tumour shrunk initially, it is has now plateaued and there has been very little improvement in her vision. Medical research is constantly advancing and the possibility of being able to generate optic nerves is making huge progress. We are raising money to support further treatment for Betsy as well as help fund these research groups and charities leading the way into brain tumour research and targeted stem cell therapy.

LEVEL WATER - getting disabled kids swimming

We believe every child should have a fair start in sport, as the two of us were fortunate enough to have. Level water (www.levelwater.org) provide one-to-one swimming lessons for disabled children; teaching them the basics and then helping them integrate successfully and progress on to competitive clubs. Without Level Water, most disabled children will never learn to swim. With our help, they can continue to grow into new towns and cities, giving every child a fair start in sport.

We thank you for your generous support, and will do you proud! Please either donate through this site which will convert your donation through credit card in to the fund currency GBP, or should you prefer to give a donation to us personally rather than online this is also possible just let us know.

Many thanks once again.

Big Love T & T x