MEDIA CENTRE

The Ultimate Triathlon Team

A 50-mile bike race across the Lake District’s toughest terrain is enough for most people to vow never to ride again. But for four employees of one of officebroker.com’s channel partners, that is just the first leg of a gruelling new triathlon that they have invented all by themselves. Once they have dismounted from their bikes, the gluttons for punishment then intend to canoe 5 kilometres across ‘Lake Thirlmere’ before scaling England’s second highest mountain, the 3117 ft ‘Helvellyn’ - and all between the hours of darkness.

It sounds like madness but madness can quickly become sanity when it is in aid of a worthy cause. In this case the men hope to raise over £1800 for Action Medical Research.

Joint Managing Director of Tamworth-based officebroker.com, Andy Haywood said: “I am both surprised and impressed by the challenge the guys have set themselves. The training they have been doing and the money they have raised is testament to their strength of character. This is the sort of challenge officebroker.com is happy to throw some money behind.”

The four men taking up the challenge all work for Bromsgrove-based ‘Nick Whale Ferrari and Maserati’ dealership – a key partner of officebroker.com.

Senior Technician and willing participant, Jason Long, 38, said: ““Some of us have friends and family who have benefitted directly from breakthroughs brought about by Action Medical Research. The thought of helping them continue their work will spur us on when we feel like giving up.”

Since 1949 the charity has worked tirelessly supporting physically disabled children and developing vaccines for such childhood diseases as polio and rubella.

“We’ve been training in the Peak District and its been really tough.

Jason Long, Senior Technician and willing participant

Jason will be joined on this daring test of stamina, nerve and determination by colleagues; Control Technician, Paul Kennerson, 37, Sales Executive, James Buckler, 33, and Electrical Engineer, Simon Sliwinski, 33. The training the men have been doing ahead of the 6th September D-day has been enough to put the frighteners up them.

“We’ve been training in the Peak District and its been really tough. I think we all wanted to defy the ageing process but I don’t think any of us had banked on it being this hard. I’m sure at the end we’ll all be saying it was worth it but at this point you sometimes question that,” added Jason.

Andy Haywood added: “The guys are evidence that if you push yourself you can achieve great things. Everyone at officebroker.com wishes them well.”

If you want to join officebroker.com in sponsoring the group you can do so by visiting:

http://www.action.org.uk/giving/sponsorship/account_details.php?id=2866

Or post your donation to:

Jason Long, 18 Forrester road, Burbage, Leicestershire, LE10 2RX (CHEQUES MADE PAYABLE TO ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH).