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Tri-ing time for the intrepid duo

16/ 1/2002

TWO intrepid sportsmen are preparing to brave the icy waters of the Lake District and the slopes of Britain's highest peaks to take part in a record-breaking triathlon.

Rochdale Aquabears Swimming Club members Nathan Doggett and Tim Summers are in training for the gruelling trek from John O'Groats to Lands End, scheduled for June.

The duo - who will be joined by Steve McDowell, who finished fifth in last year's World Triathlon Championships, and Fraser Cuttle, a captain in the Cheshire Regiment - will not only climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, but swim the length of 17 lakes in the Lake District as well.

While this feat will set world records, such as the longest triathlon ever performed, the group also hope to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Summers, who masterminded the event with Mr Cuttle, said: "Our aims are to complete the task and raise as much money as we can for the British Heart Foundation and the Cancer Research Campaign.

"We've worked out that, during the event, we'll do a total of 1,300 miles of cycling, 75 miles of swimming and 11,000 to 12,000 feet of climbing.

"From an endurance point of view, it's the hardest thing I will ever have done. But we're looking forward to it because the event is so unique. I've lost three relatives through heart disease so it's something that's more than worth doing."

Mr Summers, who is a member of the Great Britain Police swimming team, was part of a group of five people who set the record for the most lakes swum when they covered eight in the Lake District in 1997. He will help to smash that record when the quartet set out from John O'Groats at 6pm on 22 June.

"We're setting off at that time because we want to get to Ben Nevis at 6am the following day as we can't go up the peaks at night," the 35-year-old said.

He added that the triathlon would be carried out in a relay format, but they would all do their fair share of cycling, swimming and climbing.

"We are trying to training together but we need the facilities of a gym with a pool in order to do that," Mr Summers continued.

"There's no limit to how much training we have to do but, at the moment, we're swimming about 25 miles a week and cycling at least 250 miles a week. So we anticipate it will take us about 10 to 14 days to complete."