I will taking part in my first ever triathlon to raise funds for a defibrillator for Sutton Coldfield parkrun.

parkruns are free weekly timed 5km runs that take place around the world. They are open to everybody from 4yrs upwards, free, and are safe and easy to take part in. Every parkrun is organised and managed by a bunch of eager volunteers from the local community.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) happens around 140,000 times a year in the UK. Most SCAs are caused by coronary artery disease. Although very rare, SCA can also happen to healthy adults and young people with undiagnosed heart conditions. It is possible to survive a cardiac arrest if the person can be quickly treated with a defibrillator.

Defibrillators are becoming increasingly available in public places. The machine detects the rhythm of the heart and if needed delivers a shock to restore a normal rhythm. They can be used with little or no training as the machine gives clear spoken instructions, and will not deliver a shock unless the heart’s rhythm requires it.

This can help save lives.

Please help us be prepared! We intend to store the defibrillator in a public area at the park, so that it will be available for use by anyone, not just for parkrun.

My fundraising triathlon will be sprint distance (though I definitely will not be sprinting) – 400m swim, 20km bike ride, and 5km run. I have never done 2 of these events together, let alone 3!