About me and the event....

Having completed many fitness challenges over the last several years, including cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats, the London Marathon, several half marathons and various sprint and Olympic distance triathlons - the time has come for the big one - an IRONMAN 70.3. It is a triathlon comprising a 1.9km sea swim (equivalent of 76 lengths of a 25m pool), 55 miles on the bike (equivalent of London to Brighton) and a 13.1 mile run (half marathon) to finish.

Two years ago I could not swim front crawl, so this discipline remains my biggest challenge and achievement rolled into one. Those who know me know that I love cycling and running but putting together these distances consecutively over around a 5 hour period is a challenge I have never undertaken before. Training has been underway for a year, with returns from 4 hour bike rides greeted with joy from my kids (and relief from my wife) only for them to look on with dismay, curiosity and confusion as I quickly change from cycling lycra into running gear and head out again. "Are you doing a triathlon today" or "Which type of exercise are you doing today" if often a breakfast table question at 8am, with a customary answer being "already run 10 miles kids..." (after a 530am wake up).

Added incentive is that it is my 40th birthday 4 days prior to the event (hence the £40,000 fundraising target) and I am doing this event alongside my partner-in-fitness (Rob) and good friend (Adam), both of whom I completed LEJOG with 12 years ago.

Luckily the UK summer weather has been kind to my training, a June Mallorca training camp (sold to the family as a family holiday...) went well and warm-up events including at the Eastbourne Olympic Triathlon and London Olympic Plus Triathlon have been completed meaning everything is shaping up to the grand finale on 2 October 2022 in Barcelona.

I hope to finish in sub 5 and a half hours and have my first cerveza (or any alcohol) in over six months shortly thereafter (with a birthday celebration in the evening).

About the charity...

The Listening Place is a charity myself and my wife support through charitable giving and volunteer work (with my wife being a listening volunteer and supervising volunteer once a week). It is a fantastically well-run organisation with a great team.

It also supports a great cause...

Every day 18 people in the UK take their own life. And suicide in the UK is increasing, with deaths by suicide rising by almost 12% in 2018, a 16 year high. Despite this, effective, ongoing suicide support is hard to find.

The Listening Place meets this need through free, face-to-face, non-judgemental, confidential suicide support. Support is delivered by highly-trained volunteers across three London sites and continues for as long as someone needs.

TLP is currently supporting over 1,000 suicidal people on an ongoing basis and aims to support over 5,000 people this year with a long-term plan to expand across London and eventually offer support to every suicidal person in the capital.

Every £250 donated to The Listening Place will fund support for someone who is feeling suicidal for as long as they need and just over £30 will allow someone to access an initial assessment, giving them what might be their first ever experience of being listened to during their most difficult times.