Three years ago many of you kindly sponsored me to fund scholarships for 14 students in rural Ghana (http://www.justgiving.com/landsendtojohnogaunt).

This year, these students graduate with vastly improved job prospects as a result. On their behalf, thank you.

We now want to expand the programme: 90% scholarships, for three years, for up to 28 new students at vocational training schools in Ashanti Region, Ghana.   

As a former teacher at the schools, and a trustee of the registered charity Onechild Ghana (http://www.onechildghana.org/) which manages the programme, I can testify to the impact these schools have on the life prospects of young Ghanaians. However, the school fees, although tiny by Western standards, are prohibitive for many prospective students.

I’m prepared to work for your sponsorship. On 27 June 2010 I’m competing in Ironman France – quite a challenging triathlon. In one day I will complete a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle, and a marathon (26.2 mile) run. As if that isn’t already tough enough, the swim is in the sea, the cycle is through the Alps, and the temperature is likely to hit the 30s.

Can I do it? It’s undoubtedly the greatest challenge I’ve ever undertaken, and although all the distances now seem just about manageable on their own, doing them back-to-back is a bit of a journey into the unknown. But I’m as well prepared as I’ll ever be. Myself and five university friends have been training for the event for the past four years, and our exploits are recorded in our blog, It’s an Ironman not a Marathon (http://i-not-m.blogspot.com).

Many thanks in advance for your support. If you have any questions/training tips/suggestions for a tougher challenge please drop me a line at martin.gaunt@onechildghana.org