A Stevenage couple has completed a 70.3 Ironman Triathlon - known among athletes as one of the toughest endurance events on the planet - in aid of The Muscle Help Foundation.
Jason Smith and Sam Eustace went the distance on April 24, just one month before their wedding, and have so far raised more than £2,000 for the charity which provides 'Muscle Dream' experiences for children with muscular dystrophy.
In order to mark the charity's 18th birthday, the couple mapped out their very own Ironman challenge, which consists of a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run in one day.
They set off from Stevenage, headed towards Hitchin, and through Welwyn and Hatfield, then on to Hertford and down to Broxbourne and finishing up at Lee Valley Park.
Sam, 23, told the Comet: "We're into our fitness, but we're more casual cyclists and gym-goers, not so much Ironman Triathlon.
"At the start of the latest lockdown we thought it would be a good idea to help us get through it, and it worked! It was great fun, but very tough.
"Jason runs his own business and has been working closely with The Muscle Help charity, based in Buntingford, for six years. We met the couple that run the charity by chance and have been in contact ever since.
"They do awesome things for these kids and we've done some fundraisers before - it's nice to do it for smaller charities, because you can really see where the money is going. It was really special.
"Lots of the kids really loved what we were doing and came on the journey with us. We're lucky we're able to do this, we have the muscles. Some of them aren't able to feed themselves. We're really proud of what we've achieved."
CEO of The Muscle Help Foundation, Michael McGrath said: “This was a truly awesome effort by two hugely dedicated Muscle Warriors who have been supporting the charity for over six years.
"I know just how hard this goal has been for both Jason and Sam, not only juggling busy work lives and the commitment required to maintain their training regime over some six months but also the restrictions brought about by the pandemic.
"Every penny raised will help the charity move a little closer to its goal of delivering 657 Muscle Dream interventions for children and young people with muscular dystrophy."
To donate to the Iron Couple's cause, go to goldengiving.com/fundraising/ironcouple657.
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