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I am attempting an Ironman triathlon in Germany on 4^th July 2010, and am delighted to be raising money for the Ocean Ward at St George’s hospital.

A close family friend has been staying with us recently and unfortunately became unwell, requiring treatment in the neurology ward at St George’s hospital in Tooting.  The week in which he was being treated at St George’s was incredibly traumatic for him and his wife, but the care they received whilst there was first rate.

Whilst the adult neurology ward at St George’s is located in a well invested new wing (which they found improved their experience), the paediatric ward (Ocean Ward) is much smaller and located in an older wing.  We believe the paediatric ward is an excellent cause for fundraising, so any money I raise for St George’s for attempting the Ironman will be put specifically towards the Ocean Ward.

Ocean Ward is the paediatric neurosurgical/neurology ward at St George’s Hospital which has eight beds to care for children from 0-18.  They look after children who are undergoing surgery for brain tumours, spinal cord injuries and road traffic accidents.  Neurology patients include those children with seizure disorders, rare neurological disorders and global developmental delay. Because of the nature of these conditions, Ocean cares for a lot of children who are at the end of their life.

Having completed a number of marathons and shorter triathlons in recent years, I have decided to attempt Ironman Germany on 4^th July 2010. So far in 2010 my training has covered 80 miles of swimming, 3,000 miles of cycling and 600 miles of running. We will find out on 4^th July whether this has been enough to get me to the finish line! Attempting such a deranged task is a great opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause.

The Ironman is a long distance triathlon, comprising of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile cycle, and a 26.2 mile run - all in one go without any (planned) breaks. The first Ironman took place in 1979 in Hawaii to settle a dispute between runners, cyclists and swimmers as to who was the fittest. It was decided they should race the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Around-Oahu Bike Race and the Honolulu Marathon, and ‘whoever shall finish first, we’ll call him the Ironman’. 12 people completed that first race and there are now 25 Ironman races around the world.

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