A secondary school teacher in Aylesbury is hoping to raise £5,000 to help a cardiac-related charity, as well as students at his school.
Gary Ramsbottom, who is a PE teacher and the Head of Year 13 at the Aylesbury Grammar School, will take on the 141-mile Austrian Ironman challenge which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a marathon (26.22-mile run).
This is to help CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), a charity that helps prevent sudden cardiac-related deaths.
Gary Ramsbottom is a PE teacher at the Aylesbury Grammar School (Photo from Aylesbury Grammar School)
As well as raising money, Mr Ramsbottom hopes to help the charity through awareness, screening, and research, and supporting affected families.
Speaking to the school, he said: “The cost to bring CRY into Aylesbury Grammar School for a day, to screen 100 students would be £5,000 (£50 per head).
“My ambition is to raise as much money as possible, to build an AGS CRY screening fund, to be used to provide screening opportunities, and also, to support our families who are not in a position to fully fund screening for their sons themselves.
“As an ambitious target, we have provisionally booked CRY to come in for two days screening in September this year.”
The PE teacher had planned to take part in the challenge last year, but his attempt was put on hold due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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The 50-year-old now aims to take on the mammoth test on July 4 this year* in Austria, but admitted that lockdown had been 'tough' and that his ‘motivation and discipline to training was poor’.
However, despite his struggles in lockdown, he has lost two 29lbs (two stone) since the autumn and aims to help the charity.
He continued: “The autumn of 2020 was tough, and my motivation and discipline to training was poor.
A screenshot from the JustGiving page
“Coping with a Covid impacted school, term was my main focus and training was inconsistent.
“I lost discipline in my diet and put on all the weight (and more) I had previously lost.
“My intention was to restart the training with purpose in the new year of 2021.
“However, Covid continued to worsen, and then, out of the blue, school closed for face-to-face teaching.
“From January to March, I have struggled with a far less active daily routine but been very motivated to get back to effective training.
The Aylesbury Grammar School (pictured in August 2020)
“Once I managed to shed some weight, I have returned to running and I am slowly building the necessary aerobic base to support the marathon training ahead in the spring.”
CRY was launched in the mid-1990s and currently, the Leicester City and former Manchester United defender, Jonny Evans, is a patron for the charity.
To donate to Gary’s fundraising page, which is currently on £2,474, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/agsrambo141miles, and to read more about the charity, visit www.c-r-y.org.uk.
*Ironman will make an announcement in May to confirm if the event will go ahead this July
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