A group of hardy souls from Armagh – 10 men and one woman – have travelled to Barcelona to take part in a gruelling Ironman Triathlon this coming Saturday.
The group, from the Armagh Pikekickers Club, set off from Belfast on Wednesday.
Each member is raising funds for their individual charities and together they have collected in excess of £11,000 already.
And one of those is city man Barry Lynch, who recently became a father.
He is taking on the “beast” of a challenge for MacMillan Cancer Support.
“I have been doing triathlon for four years now,” he said on his JustGiving page.
“I am involved in a brilliant club – Armagh Pikekickers – which provides all the facilities I need to train for this challenge.
“I need to challenge myself in sport to keep myself motivated I’ve done a few marathons, long open water swims, long cycle events a few half Iron distance.
“So I think I am ready to take on the ultimate Triathlon.”
The demanding and hugely taxing Ironman distance in Barcelona is an incredible 3.9km swim, 181km cycle before finishing off with a modest 42km run….
“I’ve had a two year plan for this beast,” he said.
“I’m into the big hours of training and knowing I’m raising money for a great cause will be extra motivation to keep going.
“I will suffer on the day but that’s nothing compared to what people go through with cancer.
“My mum is a Macmillan nurse so I want to raise as much as possible for Macmillan.”
For most of the 12-person crew this will be their first Ironman challenge.
To check out their collective JustGiving page, click here.
