Thank you for visiting our fundraising page for the upcoming SPW-Speedo Hyde Park Triathlon. The Team - Rachel, Darren and Eric - are frantically squeezing in last minute training to ensure that we are ready for the 400m swim in the Serpentine, 15km cycle on the South Park Drive and 5km run through Hyde Parks pathways.

We are also preparing ourselves mentally to ensure that we can overcome the  perils that we are likely to face en route. You may not be familiar with the dangers of a triathlon in Hyde Park, but to give you a small sample:

- Not being able to see anything while swimming as there is too much algae in the Serpentine. Not to mention being attacked by aggressive swans! Or distracted by loud mouthed ducks!

- Being chased after and having your heels nipped by dogs (large and small) while cycling on the exposed tarmak of the South Park Drive (with no cover in sight to get away from the ravenous beasts)! Not to mention the difficulty in navigating a bicycle through the deluge of blossoms falling off trees and obscuring your vision - almost like a snow storm!

- Having people push baby prams across the running course, creating a constantly evolving obstacle course to duck and dodge while trying not to get lost! 

A dangerous odyssey worthy of our best efforts as you can see.

We are braving all of this for a great organisation and a great cause - Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW). SPW does brilliant work in Africa and South Asia training and supporting young people to improve their own lives, and the lives of their peers, families, communities and their countries - addressing the multiple challenges of education, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, sanitation and livelihoods in underserved areas. You can check out their work at www.spw.org. Your support for us, and through us for SPW, will make a significant difference in the lives of young people - for example, it only takes £5 for SPW to provide a whole year of weekly HIV education and prevention lessons and activities to a young person living in a remote rural community in Tanzania or Zambia.

Our Team is aptly named "Drinks at the Finish Line" for two reasons: 1) because that is what we will be thinking about to motivate us through the perilous course described above; and 2) because we look forward to sharing drinks with all of you that come out to cheer us on our way (or if you can't make it, or live too far away, we will toast to you). It will hopefully be a glorious Spring day, and anyone that can make it out to join us is welcome to join the post-event picnic in the park.

So, we welcome your donations, for us and for the great organisation that we are raising funds and awareness for. Many thanks for your support, cheering, encouragement (and a little bit of sympathy when we are exhausted at the end).

- Rachel, Darren and Eric

P.S. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Students Partnership Worldwide 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.