Great News!

Both of us completed the course - Nat in a time of 1 hour 45 minutes and 48 seconds and Dad in a time of 1 hour 47 minutes and 21 seconds (Bragging rights go to the younger generation :-)

Thanks very much for all your support - you've made a real difference.

==================================

STOP PRESS - We've just received confirmation that our efforts have been recognised by Barclays Bank under their donation matching incentive and they've added a whopping £750 to our pot - tremendous!

==================================

Who are we?

Nathanial Eatwell -  Club DJ, muso and Teaching Assistant at the Lancashire Educational Medical Service centre in Burnley. (He is also studying for a Degree at Blackburn College in working with and supporting people with Special Needs)

Paul Eatwell - IT Programme Manager for Barclays Bank (fast approaching fifty)

What are we doing?

The Henley on Thames Triathlon consists of a 400M swim, followed by a 25KM bike ride and then a 5KM run - it doesn't sound so hard if you say it quickly enough :-)

When are we doing it?

The event takes place on the 13th June, 2 days before my 50th birthday

Why are we doing it?

It all started as a bit of a laugh with a friend of mine at work, and a throwaway comment that I'd always wanted to "do" a triathlon but wasn't sure I had the ability (I don't swim much and I've never run) or the commitment to do all that training.

Anyway, the conversation with Helen and the idea of my approaching 50th birthday finally got me to thinking "well if I don't do it now..." so I started looking into it a bit more.

The timing of the Henley event, together with the fact that it takes place near to my parents' home and seemed like a good opportunity to get the family together to celebrate the birthday made it an obvious choice. Then both my sons got in on the act and offered to help with my training and all of a sudden, it was serious. Finally, when I came to enter, Nat volunteered to have a go too and here we are - in the middle of our training and wondering what we've let ourselves in for.

Why are we raising money for the National Autistic Society?

My youngest son, Dominic, has Asperger's Syndrome so we have some personal experience of autism and the challenges that it brings to those affected and the positive impact that the National Autistic Society can have on people's lives.

The NAS champions the rights and interests of people with autism and aims to provide individuals with autism and their families with help, support and services that they can access, trust and rely upon and which can make a positive difference to their lives.

for further information on their work check out the website at http://www.nas.org.uk/

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.