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For some time now I have been looking for a challenge worthy of a fund-raising effort to support RACING4MND and the Heaton Ellis Trust.  
The Heaton-Ellis Trust aims to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and has already raised over GBP 1 million to fund a research programme, headed by Professor Chris Shaw, at the department of Clinical Neuroscience at King’s College Hospital in London. My reason for choosing this charity is that my sister was diagnosed with MND almost two years ago. The average life expectancy for MND sufferers is three years from the first symptoms and 20 months from diagnosis. As MND progresses, sufferers lose the use of their limbs and become unable to swallow food or talk, effectively trapped inside a paralysed body, unable to care for themselves or communicate. As a result, MND is the most common reason for people choosing euthanasia. At present, there is no specific test for MND and no effective treatment or cure. The Heaton Ellis Trust has no overheads or administration costs to cover, which means that all the money raised passes directly to the appeal and is used to fund research into a cure for MND.

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As to my challenge … I’m heading off to Australia next week to compete in the 2016 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships to be held in the Snowy Mountains south of Canberra, NSW.

Part 1 was to qualify for selection by the British Triathlon Federation as a member of team GBR (only national team members are allowed to enter) for this event. My XTerra races stood me in good stead for this, as I won each of the Asia-Pacific rounds that I entered, in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia.

Part 2 of the challenge happens on Friday 18 November 2016, when the individual women’s race takes place. It turns out that the Snowy Mountains have had exceptional snowfall this winter and consequently the lake swim is going to be bracingly cold – although I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be a wetsuit swim, but you can never be too sure as the ITU takes the temperature on the morning of the event and decides accordingly … it was a chilly 14 degrees last week!!! The event’s website boasts that “the course includes some of the best, fast and flowing single-track mountain bike trails and gritty off road running trails found anywhere in Australia.” However, latest updates say that the bike course has not yet had the chance to dry out from winter flooding and, as the run course includes a stream section, I think it’s safe to say that this is going to be a very wet and challenging day! As a glutton for punishment, I will also be taking part in the national team relay event on the following Sunday. Sadly, team GBR will be somewhat under-represented down under, compared to the very strong team fielded by the host nation, so please don’t expect the show-stopping performance of the Brownlee brothers!