This is Dr Maz, one of my best mates. Despite recently finding out that he’s got incurable metastatic cancer, he remains one of the most positive, funny and caring people I know. He’s an inspiration to all those close to him. I’m raising money for a cause close to his heart (because this is the kind of bloke he is), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF / Doctors Without Borders), an organisation which provides medical assistance to vulnerable populations, particularly those in conflict zones such as Gaza.

An Ironman consists of a 3.9km swim, 180.2km bike ride and a 42.2km run. Despite having ran a 2:22 marathon previously, this is going to be quite the challenge for me considering I can’t swim properly, only learned to ride a bike when I was 21, and have been crippled since my last race 6 months ago. All my training will be done whilst working full time as a cardiology/intensive care registrar in New Zealand.

If you can support my dive into the unknown by donating to an amazing cause it would mean an awful lot to me, Maz and those helped by MSF’s efforts.

Cheers,

Luke Cotter

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Update, October 2024:

Thank you to everyone who has donated; it’s really appreciated.

Unfortunately, Maz passed away on the 21st of July, surrounded by his family and fiancée at LOROS Hospice in Leicester. I was planning to go back to the UK to visit him in September (after my first trip in April was curtailed when I lost my passport—classic me). Nevertheless, it was nice to go back, spend time with the Birmingham lot, visit his grave, and reminisce. I was fortunate enough to have some phone calls with him and share some messages towards the end, so I don’t feel like I missed out too much by not being physically there. He remained incredibly positive, and one of his messages to me read, “I always wanted my life to play out more like a good book than a mundane existence, so I gotta add some more epic final chapters for what has already felt like such a fun life.” That’s a pretty epic outlook, and it’s something I’ll think about going forward in my life: to step outside my comfort zone and make the most of cool opportunities.

He seemed touched that I was honouring him with my charity efforts, and I’m now more motivated than ever to raise lots of money for MSF and do his memory proud come race day in March. Something has clicked with my swimming recently, and I don’t feel so much like a fish out of water (probably thanks to my recently purchased buoyancy shorts—cheat code #1). I’ve been ticking off loads of cycling in sunny Hawkes Bay and just splashed out on a fancy bike (cheat code #2). Unfortunately, my Achilles tendons are still giving me quite a bit of grief, so that cheat code is pending.

Having surpassed my initial target of £2,500, the new goal is £5,000. Any further donations would mean a lot.

Cheers,

Luke