An Aylesbury man who is attempting to complete a triathlon in every UK city in the space of nine months has started his challenge in Oxford.
Alex Davis kicked off the challenge on Monday, April 15 at Blackbird Leys Pool in Oxford.
He swam a distance of 1.5km, followed by a 10km run and then a 40km bike ride around the city.
Mr Davis aims to complete a further 77 triathlons as he embarks on the goal of finishing one roughly every three and a half days across various cities in the UK.
He is raising funds for three charities – the Oxford Hospitals Charity, the National Paralympic Heritage Trust and Auto Raise.
He said: "I am not a professional triathlete but have always loved sport and trained hard.
"I have been looking for an exciting challenge that will push me to the limit physically and mentally and came up with the idea of doing a triathlon in every UK city.
"My aim is also to raise as much as possible for three amazing charities that mean a lot to me – and I hope to top £15,000."
For his first triathlon, Mr Davis was met by Sarah Vaccari from Oxford Hospital Charity and his brother and business partner, Quintin, from the Equate Group.
Equate Group, a national IT and Cyber Security Specialist company, is sponsoring the costs for Mr Davis' challenge, ensuring that all the funds raised can support his chosen charities.
He continued: "I had a great 1500m swim at Leys Pools, then as I hopped on to my trusty bike the sun popped out as I rode around Oxford, stopping outside The John Radcliffe Hospital, which has been very supportive over the last five years to my family.
"The run provided a bit of a tricker challenge as I had to pick up a sandwich, pack of jelly babies and mars bar to power me through the last part.
"I’m excited for this year of challenges, and grateful for all the support from the Oxford Hospital Charity, AutoRaise and National Paralympic Heritage Trust."
His fundraising journey can be supported on Just Giving while his story can be followed using the hashtag #TriathlonEveryUKCity
Ms Vaccari said: "It was lovely to meet Alex as he started this epic challenge and wish him good luck before the swim.
"We are really thrilled that he and the Equate Group have chosen to support Oxford Hospitals Charity.
"We know our hospitals hold a special place in Alex’s heart and his fundraising will help us continue to make a difference in our NHS Trust."
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