Hi my name is James, I'm 17, from Barnstaple and fundraising for Children’s Hospice South West to help make the most of short and precious lives.

I am doing my 1st triathlon, the Croyde Ocean Triathlon on the 12th July in an attempt to raise as much money as possible for Children's Hospice South West.

I am not a runner, a cyclist or a swimmer, but I am motivated to do my best in this challenge after my best friend, at the age of 16, got diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma during our GCSE year at school last summer.

This is where my passion for fundraising started as me and my friend Lewis ran 5k everyday in August to raise money for our best friend. it was a huge success and we ended up raising over £10,000 for Harry and his family.

Since then, I've wanted to try and continue to make an impact and thought there was no better charity to do this for than the Children's Hospice.

We were only 16 when Harry got diagnosed and I witnessed first hand the affect illnesses in children can have not only on the person, but all those around them. This time also made me realise that it can happen to anyone no matter how young or healthy you are which is why I think the work of the hospice is so valuable and should be supported.