For most people, not being able to swim and never having visited the gym is an excuse not to sign up for a triathlon.
But Darren May, 37, from Brighton Hill, has ignored conventional wisdom and will take part in the London Triathlon held in London's Docklands on August 7 in a bid to raise money for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital.
Darren, from Brighton Hill, wants to raise money for the Unit after his daughter Kitty received specialist treatment there after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly after she was born.
He said: "In the space of a day our emotions went from elation at the birth of our beautiful daughter to despair at the reality of Kitty's condition. The support and understanding we received from the PICU unit really helped us through this traumatic time and we will be forever indebted to them for saving our little girl."
Kitty was born in February last year at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. After being diagnosed with a extremely rare heart condition she was rushed to Southampton, where specialist care meant five days later she was back in Basingstoke hospital and today is as fit as fiddle.
Darren, who is a chauffeur in London, will be tackling the streets he knows by foot and bike rather than at the wheel of a car.
He will be joining thousands of other competitors in a 750m open water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run, which he hopes to complete in one-and-a-half hours.
For a man who only learnt to swim 12 weeks ago he says he is confident that he will be able to hold his own in the water.
“It's the swim which is the worst part - I am quite good on the road and the run,” he said. “I can do breast stoke, but you need to be able to front crawl. I've got another two sessions in the water before the event, so it will be okay.”
Darren first set himself the target of raising £2,000, but to date has received a whopping £5,500 in sponsorship and hopes to pass the £6,000 mark.
He said: “I have been sponsored more than I ever expected to get and would not be where I am now without all the help I have received. I have a lot of family coming up on the day bringing their support.”
To help Darren raise money for the specialist children's ward in Southampton, visit www.justgiving.com/darren-may.
