NORWICH ‘IRONMAN’ TO TAKE ON SPORT’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGE
A Norwich man is to take on one of the toughest sporting challenges there is when he embarks on an Ironman triathlon – a 3.8km swim in open water, leading into a 180km bike ride, followed by running a full marathon (42.2km) – all inside the space of 17 hours.
39 year-old Tim Barnes, who works as an audit senior manager at Lovewell Blake, is aiming to raise money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
During the challenge early next month Mr Barnes will cover a total of just over 140 miles – or approximately two-thirds of the distance he will drive from Norwich to the start line in Bolton.
His decision to support the EAAA was spurred on by his twin passions of aviation and first aid – and was also inspired by the fact that ‘Anglia One’ was scrambled during the first lockdown in 2020 when Lovewell Blake colleague James Shipp was involved in a serious accident, and a subsequent flight to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge which probably saved his life.
“East Anglian Air Ambulance is always there to help people in trouble, and the fact it was there to assist James in his time of need brought home to me how important it is to support the charity. They do fantastic work which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives, and I’m proud to be supporting them in my own way,” said Mr Barnes.
A keen runner for some years, Mr Barnes took up cycling seriously during the pandemic and started swimming regularly too – which is how the idea of completing a triathlon came about. He completed a half iron distance triathlon in Holkham, Norfolk, last Summer and has now decided to aim for the full distance Ironman – the toughest of the various triathlon distances (the Olympic distance is far shorter, with a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run).
The event takes place on Sunday 3rd July. Anyone wishing to sponsor Mr Barnes can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tim-barnes-imuk22.