On 15th of July 2012 I will be taking part in the Birmingham Triathlon which is set in Sutton Park. I have chosen to enter the Olympic distance which involves; 1500 metre open water swim in Powells Pool, a 40 km bike ride followed by a 10 km run to the finish. This is the first time I have entered such an event, and may well be the last! Until about 4 or 5 years ago I wasn't able run at all due to a bad back and so I learned how to swim properly in order to help with this. This was a life changing thing for me because as my back pain began to fade I had the chance to learn to love swimming and running. Eventually I felt confident enough to enter the Birmigham Half Marathon (2009) and Great North Swim (2011). I have only just begun to enjoy cycling and have borrowed a bike to take part! Hopefully completing the Olympic distance will be a huge personal challege and achievement, and I thank you for your interest and support.

Taking part in such a big event gives me the motivation and opportunity to raise some money for charity. I would like to raise money to support the work of fellow Speech and Language Therapists at the Cleft Team at Birmingham Children's Hospital . On 8th July they are running a Speech Camp for children with severe speech difficulties due to being born with a cleft lip and/or palate. It is a week long residential course and this year it is taking place in the Lake District. The children receive intensive speech therapy and psychological issues such as self esteem are also addressed. Children who have attended Speech Camp in the past have improved greatly in areas such as confidence and identity as well as improving their speech and communication skills. The impact of this will hopefully help them greatly in their lives. Speech Camp is not funded by the NHS and can only take place due to charitatable donations. I would be very grateful if you would help me to raise money to contribute to helping these children.

 

 

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