Thank you for coming this far and reading about my Challenge. On September 14th I will attempt the world's most difficult triathlon - The Arch to Arc. I will run 87 miles from Marble Arch to Dover. Within 48 hours of beginning that run I will attempt to swim the English Channel solo. On completion of that I will then cycle the 180 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is a huge undertaking: You may think that an 87 mile run is a challenge but it pales into insignificance compared to the enormity of swimming the English Channel. That is like climbing Everest with a fridge on your back! To date, only 13 people have completed the task - one more than has stood on the moon. In September I will be the oldest person to attempt the Challenge at the grand old age of 49.
Normally, I am coy about asking for money, but on this occasion I really want to be blunt and ask for your support. I have trained solidly for 3 years to put myself in a position where I might have a fighting chance of achieving this. In that time I have completed a double Ironman, two triple Ironman, relayed the Channel and run, cycled and swam thousands of miles. And if truth be told, the real journey started on November 22nd 2000 and culminates in this Challenge. I only have one shot at the Arch 2 Arc. I will never get the chance again. So please, please use this as your one last chance to show your support and sponsor me. I can't bother you again, because nothing can come close in terms of endurance to the effort that this event requires.
The money I raise will go to the charity I work for, Aspire. Every day we help people who have sustained a spinal cord injury move towards independence; people who will not walk again, people who can never again hold a pen are given practical help, guidance and support from their first days in hospital and throughout their lives. There is no government funding for this crucial work, and we rely on your generosity (and weird stuff like this challenge) to fund these services.
Thank you so much for reading this. All you need do now is donate.
You can follow my progress and musings on my Blog:
http://paulsarch2arc.blogspot.co.uk
