Epic Triathlon Challenge Underway

A man from Bucks is attempting a triathlon in all 78 UK cities to raise money for charity.

Alex Davis is hoping to raise £15,000 to split between 3 charities, including the National Paralympic Heritage Trust, who are based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

His mammoth mission will take 9 months, and kicked off in Oxford last week. Alex, who works for the Equate Group in Wendover, told us more about his opening Triathlon:

"Arriving in Oxford having driven through 40 mph winds it was worth the effort, with a great 1500m swim at  Leys Pools & Leisure. Then hopping on to my trusty bike thankfully the sun popped out as I headed off around Oxford, stopping outside The John Radcliffe Hospital who have been very supportive over the last 5 years to my family. Then back into Oxford along the Thames Tow Path South. The run provided a trickier challenge as I had to pick up a sandwich, pack of jelly babies and mars bar to power me through the last part of the run. I'll pack more goodies for my next triathlon! My muscles are now in recovery mode, with a stretch and flex at Salsa dancing on Thursday evening with my wife. I'm looking forward to the year for challenges, but thanks again for all the support from the Oxford Hospitals Charity, AutoRaise and the National Paralympic Heritage Trust."

“We want to wish Alex all the very best on this challenge to complete 78 triathlons in 78 cities in just 9 months. What an incredible thing to do!

We are really thrilled that he and the Equate Group have chosen to support Oxford Hospitals Charity as one of the causes they are fundraising for. We know our hospitals hold special place in Alex’s heart and his fundraising will help us continue to make a difference in our NHS Trust, funding additional specialist medical equipment, creating more welcoming hospital spaces and supporting our patients, young and old when they need it most.” Sarah Vaccari from Oxford Hospitals Charity

‘NPHT are thrilled to be one of Alex’s chosen charities for this epic challenge. His support will enable us to reach, educate and inspire many more people about disability, using our amazing Paralympic story. Good Luck Alex!’ – National Paralympic Heritage Trust

“At Autoraise we truly recognise and appreciate the efforts of our supporters but what Alex is setting out to do here is truly amazing. We are so proud to be one of the charity beneficiaries of this tremendous effort. We are hoping to share some of the journey with him through our industry supporters and some of the tremendous young people who we support and work within the industry”.

You can donate to Alex's challenge using this link https://www.justgiving.com/team/Alex78Olympictriathlons (external site).