Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

After suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for many years my grandmother Anne Harris died last year.  I saw first-hand the devastating effect that the illness had on her.

Therefore, in order to raise money for the Alzheimer’s society, I will be participating in Ironman UK on the 22nd July in Bolton. An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. Most Ironman events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race, where the Ironman race starts at 7:00 AM, the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, the bike cut off time is 5:30 PM, and all finishers must complete their marathon by midnight.  Personally I am aiming to finish within 14 hours.

I am currently training an average of 15 hours a week but in a few months this will increase to averaging 19 hours a week.  This is a huge personal commitment, particularly since very few women of my age participate in Ironman Triathlons.    

The Alzheimer’s society is an amazing charity whose staff and volunteers provide both local information and over 2,000 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to people affected by dementia in their communities. Their local services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring.  They offered our family great support during my grandmother’s illness.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be willing to support my fundraising.