A Caerphilly resident took the plunge, got in gear and laced up his running shoes on Sunday August 19 at Tri Together – a triathlon event organised by Leonard Cheshire Disability.
Alun Edwards travelled to the Crystal Palace National Sport Centre to take part in the event.
Tri Together is an inclusive, short distance triathlon for people of all abilities over 13-years-old and consists of a 400m swim, 15km cycle and 5km run. This was Alun’s first triathlon and he completed all three in one hour and 14 minutes – finishing third in his age group.
Alun said: “Crossing that finish line was a fantastic feeling, the excitement across the stadium was contagious and the crowds really gave me a lift. When my muscles started to ache and I began to feel tired, the fact that I was raising funds for such a fantastic charity helped me to get to the end.”
Sarah Ball, events manager at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: “We are delighted that Alun took part in Tri Together to raise much-needed funds for Leonard Cheshire Disability. We are very proud of him and his support will help us to continue our work with disabled people at local services across the UK.”
This was the second Tri Together event, following last year’s launch. The current World Paratriathlon Champion, Jane Egan, supported the event and also took part. When paratriathlon is included in the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Jane is hoping to compete for team GB.