As I turned 40 this year, I thought it would be fun to test myself and see what I’m capable of due to my slightly obsessive fitness hobby.

I fancied an Ironman, but with all the COVID stuff last year, I was worried it could still be causing travel problems, so instead I settled on a Triathlon inspired set of challenges.

I decided to swim the length of Britain's longest Lake, ride my bike to the height of Mount Everest and then run 100-mile foot race in under 24 hours.

I completed the swim back in June,  after over 10 hours in the Lake, conquering some major fears of open water in very choppy conditions and was all set to do the bike ride in July.

Unfortunately, thanks to the freak heatwave in the UK this year, the bike ride was postponed until just 1 week before the 100-mile run.

To give some context, Mount Everest is 8,849 meters (over 5 miles straight up) and to gain that height on the tiny bumps that pass for hills near me, I will need to cover around 180 miles of horizontal distance. I think (hope) it will take about 18 hours of solid riding.

Obviously, that alone is a bit of a challenge, so to attempt a 100-mile run at a reasonable pace just a week later is pushing it (by my standards, at least).

Given the extra challenge, I thought it worth grabbing your attention to read this and hopefully sponsor me and help raise some funds for a very deserving charity, Grief Encounter.

Grief Encounter helps young people who have lost one or both parents and their carers and extended family.

Having lost my dad when I was still a teenager and learned firsthand how it impacted my Brother and me, it is a cause very close to my heart. 

If you can spare 10, 20 or a bit more, then it will really help some kids that have been dealt a pretty shitty hand.

If you can't spare any cash, that's still cool; just share this page for me on your social media as word of mouth will help us reach my minimum target of £1000 too :-)