The “Why”:

Dad visited the Jenner clinic of GRH on a regular basis for around 15 years. Despite the not-so-positive reasons for needing to go there, he quite enjoyed his visits as he met so many people and loved chatting to all the staff, most of whom he got to know on first-name terms. He had nothing but positive things to say about everyone there. Before he died, he asked both my brother and I to “run a marathon” after he was gone to raise money for LINC so that they can continue their good work helping so many people with a variety of blood disorders through difficult times.

Although I think he probably understood the difference, he didn’t really distinguish between distances so when he said “run a marathon” the specifics of the event were unimportant to him. Most of you will probably know that I am a fairly regular runner so simply asking for donations for something I’d have chosen to do anyway didn’t seem befitting of the promise. It’s been six years since we lost him, but this year I’ve finally won a place at the perfect event that would have met his approval: The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. Dad had a real interest in true crime so this seems like an ideal tribute.

The “What”:

You’re taken on a boat to “The Rock”, Alcatraz island, the site of the infamous inescapable prison (jury’s out on that one) in San Francisco Bay. From there, you swim to the mainland, 1.6 miles across freezing, shark-infested water with currents that drag you out under the Golden Gate Bridge. If you make it to shore, there’s an 18-mile bike ride up and down the hills of San Francisco, followed by an 8-mile run which includes 400 steps up a cliff face.

This will be my first triathlon. I had my first swimming lesson in the middle of February. Prior to this, I was a borderline non-swimmer. 50m of doggy-paddling breast-stroke and I was done for. Swimming is just not my thing so you could say it’s a literal example of going in at the deep end.

The “When”:

June 9th (an unconventional way to spend my birthday!)

Any donations that you’re able to make will be very gratefully received by the LINC. I know money can be tight for many people but anything you can spare really does make a difference.