Another year is well under way and we are slowly moving towards the much needed peak scampi fishing season. We hope that plenty of "prawns" will be caught and that no one will be injured or worse during the coming months. However, fishing remains the most dangerous peacetime occupation and carries on regardless often of weather and its attached risk. Without these men risking their lives, many favourite british dishes would be lost, and the culture and nature of our coastal fishing communities would change forever.

 

 Due to these special characterisitics a unique 150 year old charity continues to play a pivotal role supporting the uk fishing industry: The Fishermen's Mission. Made up of volunteers and people who have a passion for fishing and the sea, they provide pastoral and emotional support for fishermen and their families, helping remote communities deal with the unpredictable side of fishing. Be it the thousands of retired fishermen on the humber that lost their livlihoods overnight following the cod war or the young family of a fishermen lost at sea, through their network of superintendents and voluntary superintendents, the mission are there to provide compassionate grants, help arrange funerals and help life to move on.

 

 As I have asked for support in the past, with the Barcelona Marathon and the Comrades Marathon (56 miles) I felt I needed to increase the challenge to warrent more (and bigger!) donations to this cause, so I am competing in the austrian ironman, which takes place on the 3rd july this year. The ironman begins with a 2.4 mile open water, mass start swim (2000 swimmers fighting it out) then moves into a 112 mile bike ride finishing off with a 26.2 mile run. There is a cut off time of 17 hours but i hope to complete it under 12 hours. it is considered one of the sternest endurance events you can do, and fitting for a charity that supprts one of the sternest occupations. I have been training since July last year and try to complete three swims, three runs and three bike rides per week. By the time of the event I will have completed two marathons (including London marathon on Sunday), two half iron mans and two bike races as part of my training.

 

 You can either send a cheque made payable to whitby seafoods, with "im Austria" written on the back, or use my justgiving page. All donors will be invited to the opening of our new coldstore in August. Donors of over £100 will have their logos included in all our publicity material related to the race. You can keep abreast of my training on twitter @edwardwhittle and i will send further installments and a full race report to all donors.