So, on Sunday the 4th August 2013 I will be racing in the 'UK Ironman' up in sunny Bolton for a number of reasons.  For those who don't know what an ironman is, essentially it's a monster triathlon which consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run, and all these events have to be completed in 17 hours! It's going to be a long and painful day but hopefully knowing that i'm doing it for a great cause will get me through it!

Other than this being a massive personal challenge for myself, the main reason for entering the Ironman and the one which has got me through all these hours of intense training and hard work is to raise some money for my chosen charity - Mesothelioma UK. Not many people will know what this charity is about or what Mesothelioma is but essentially its a cancer within the lining of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos.

Having spent his entire life working hard within the building trade, unfortunately this is what my dad was diagnosed with in October 2011 and sadly, despite fighting hard against the disease for almost a year, he passed away in September 2012 aged only 63.

Compared to many other forms of cancer, there has been little research conducted into Mesothelioma and there are no cures for the disease at present.

This is why I wanted to help this worthwhile cause. I'd like to raise awareness of this disease because unfortunately, more and more people are now being diagnosed with this disease due to asbestos having been a common material used within the building trade and other industries years ago when the dangers of the material weren't known about. I hope that the money raised will help the charity to provide help and support to other families who have to go through the same thing that my family went through last year.

Please, please help me to help this worth while charity by donating generously. Any donation made will be greatly apprecaited and will hopefully give me the inspiration needed to get myself through this gruelling day!

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.