Stowe Triathlon - July 7th 2013

UPDATE - 10/07/2013

Cheques received £2,955
Balance above £2,145
TOTAL RAISED £5,100
% of target 102%

Triathlon complete. On what was officially the hottest day of the year, Tom, Jamie and I managed to beat the elements and complete the triathlon in just under 3 hours each. Ironically the swim was probably the best part of the event as it enabled us to cool down at the beginning. Our distinct lack of high-quality cycling kit held us back somewhat compared to other competitors but we nonetheless managed to cross the line in a respectable time.

Thanks you for your incredibly kind support which has made the whole thing possible. I have now reached my target of £5,000 which will be doubled to £10,000 by my company. I have let the charity know and they are extremely grateful for all your generosity.

Due to their administrative error, the triathlon in the Lake District got cancelled last weekend. I have subsequently managed to find an alternative triathlon at Stowe on the same date. The only difference is that the bike ride is slightly longer at a massive 56km.

I will keep you updated with how I get on.

Hi all,

On 7th July I will be attempting to complete an Olympic-distance triathlon in the Lake District. This comprises a 1.5km swim in Lake Windemere, a 42km cycle and a 10km run at the end and should take approximately 3 hours.

Having not undertaken anything of this magnitude before, I foresee this posing a significant challenge. The challenge has been made even harder by the fact that swimming has never been a particularly strong facet of my athletic prowess and thus I have essentially had to teach myself how to swim again as part of my preparation.

I am doing this in aid of the Ark Cancer Centre Charity. Ark has undertaken the enormous project of building a much needed cancer centre in North Hampshire offering cancer treatment to local people. My father is a pioneer ambassador for this charity and has also invested significant amounts of time in raising the required funds for its completion. Please see below for further details on the charity and a link to the website:

"Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is to build a local Cancer Treatment Centre to serve North Hampshire which will save patients lengthy, uncomfortable trips to Southampton or Guildford for treatment. The medical team behind this "visionary" project have researched how to provide the best and most comforting environment for cancer sufferers combined with the latest in technologies and drug treatment. This is a very exciting project with Ark Cancer Centre Charity aiming to raise £5million to provide grants to allow the overall project to be delivered to a higher specification above the £13million provided by the Trust."

arkcancercharity.org.uk

I would be extremely grateful for any donations, no matter how big or small. I have set myself an ambitious fundraising target but one which I believe to be achievable with all your help and support.

If you do require any more information then do not hesitate to get in touch with me via samphilipward@hotmail.com.

Alternatively you will find me in the shallow end of the Porchester Centre swimming pool. I'll be the one with the arm bands.

Sam