At the start of this year on a long drive back from Cornwall Nic and I talked about things we would like to achieve this year. One of my aspirations was to do a triathlon. Now for those of you who know me this is not an obvious choice, I have never been sporty or into exercise. I used to bunk off double games to smoke fags and when I did go I would spend most of the time sunbathing. I recognised that the only way I would exercise regularly was to sign up for a challenge and have a goal to work to.

Alongside this crazy decision this year my darling sister in law has been admirably standing up to breast cancer. She has been through a series of many different treatments and surgical interventions and each challenge she has risen to with bravery, poise and strength. Seeing her take on such a battle head on has been nothing short of inspirational and I want to show her how proud we all are by nailing this triathlon and raising some cash for one of the cancer charities we turned to when she got her initial diagnosis.

Cancer sadly has affected and is affecting others in my close friends and family and the work Macmillan do to provide support for both the sufferers and their support networks is invaluable. I would be really grateful if you could spare a few pounds to both encourage me on the day and support the excellent work of Macmillan

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.