On September 15th this year, I am ATTEMPTING to complete Ironman Wales. This consists of a 2.4 mile sea swim, 112 mile cycle followed by a 26.2 mile marathon. In preparation for this challenge of a lifetime, I have also entered the following training events:

April - Carten (A 100 mile bike ride from Cardiff to Tenby)

May - Grafman Middle Distance Triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, 13.1 mile run)

June - Wales Middle Distance Triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, 13.1 mile run)

July - Long Course Weekend Wales (Friday 2.4 mile swim, Saturday 112 mile cycle, Sunday 26.2 mile run).

Many of you will be aware of the drowning prevention work that my brother Darren is involved with in Bangladesh.

This is Sifat Saifullah. He’s 29 years old and lives in Cox’s Bazar, a small coastal town in Southern Bangladesh.

Darren first met Sifat in 2012 when he visited Bangladesh to deliver lifesaving training on behalf of the RNLI. Although I haven’t met Sifat, I am always interested to hear from my brother how the drowning prevention work in Bangladesh is going. Drowning is a massive issue in Sifat’s country – in fact it is THE LEADING KILLER of children between 1 and 18 years of age. Drowning kills more children in Bangladesh than malnutrition! Staggeringly, 40 children drown every day.

Sifat used to be a beach cleaner, and told Darren that he was aware of many people who drowned in the sea in Cox’s Bazar. Many of them were young children who went down to the ocean to bathe, wash clothes or to play with their friends. Sifat was desperate to learn how to help prevent this needless loss of life in his community.

Recently, Darren helped Sifat to establish Wavefighter Lifesaving & Surf Club in Cox's Bazar - a lifesaving, surfing and youth club for underprivileged children and young adults. The aim of the Club is to provide a safe place for children to gain a basic education, as well as how to be safe in and around the water. It is run by older club members, who volunteer their time to run weekly sessions for various age groups. They deliver basic literacy and numeracy education, teach swim survival and lifesaving skills, as well as provide supervised sessions for children to learn to surf and have fun in the water. The majority of club members are aged between 7 and 14 years old.

The Wavefighter Lifesaving & Surf Club desperately needs your support. Any donation you are able to give will be gratefully received, and to give you an indication of how a small amount can make a big difference, here are some of the typical costs associated with running the Club;

• Rent for Clubhouse – 3000 taka/month (£30)

• Swimming costumes for boys and girls – 100 taka each (£1)

• Snacks and water for training sessions – 80 taka per person (80p)

• Transportation costs to bring children from their villages – 1600 taka/month (£16)

• Stationery, reading and writing books – 200 taka per child (£2)

Having lived in India for 7 months back in 2012, I saw first hand the poverty that children from low income countries experience on a daily basis. As a member of Langland Bay Surf Lifesaving Club from a young age, I learnt vital water safety and first aid skills. I felt that it was really important to pass on my skills, knowledge and experience to younger club members and this is why I have always been so interested in following Sifat's journey. I have decided to raise money for Wavefighter Lifesaving & Surf Club to help Sifat continue to develop his club.