Please support me in my completely crazy and ridiculous aim to raise some money by taking part in the Blenheim Triathlon.

I've not done any exercise since before my children were born (more than 7 years) and I'm very fat and unfit and rather old. So I need your help and support as it's incredibly motivating to know that your sponsorship will help a good cause (while making it impossible for me to quit).

I'm raising money for Queens Park Primary's discretionary resource money for arts and crafts, with reception classes in mind, but also for other years as appropriate and subject to what is raised.

Over the last few years my four children have been at nursery and then primary school in Queens Park. I was a governor for a few years at their nursery, and have seen there, and at Queens Park Primary just how hard the teaching staff have worked to support the children. With tight budgets and the challenges of Covid they have delivered the curriculum but also lots of extra learning through arts and crafts, and other projects that give the children free rein to be creative and imaginative, hands on with practical projects, to work in teams together, and to get messy and have lots of fun.

To do this, the teachers always need lots of resources and materials, from paint and paper, to bottle tops and glue, and other specially purchased craft materials. I'd like to use any sponsorship people support me with to pay into this fund at Queens Park Primary to help them in the year to come.

To raise this money I am taking part in the Triathlon at Blenheim Palace on 11th September 2021. Crazy I know, what was I thinking.

I will be doing the SuperSprint which involves a 400 metre open-water swim, a 13.3 km bike ride and 2.9 km run. I will be training along with an amazing 200+ people from across the Kensal Rise community. Together we are supporting more than 25 local charities.

Please sponsor me and Queens Park Primary via this page!

More stories from the 200-strong Kensal Tri Team can be found here: https://www.kensalqueenspark.com/kensal-rise-triathlon-team

This video is from 2020 but it shows some of this year's participants - we are all ages and backgrounds, and raising money in 2021 for a huge amount of charities.

My training so far:

I have been swimming around 500m in lengths at the pool with a bit of lake and open air swimming, but I struggle with front crawl. So if I do lots of breast stroke and back stroke when I get tired of crawl, I should get round...very slowly.

I have been on my actual bike twice since training for the triathlon but each time doing about 20k - it's been slow but ok. Plus I've been doing 13k regularly on an exercise bike.

I have been doing Couch to 5K since June, and can run 3k on a running machine but still struggle with running outdoors. So it'll be a tough finish.

I may finish last but I want to finish and your sponsorship will help to motivate me, thanks so much.

Helenx