LOCAL fundraiser, Natalie Rees will be taking part in her first ever triathlon on September 12 to raise funds for Alzheimers Research.

Natalie said: “I’m trying to raise as much money as possible for this worthy charity.

“Both my parents were diagnosed with cancer a month apart in 2017 so you would think that would have been my first choice but dementia never really gets to the headlines like cancer and needs our support just as much. 

“We also have dementia our family. My father who passed away last year from Cancer has a twin who has dementia, which has been terribly painful for the family and even more sad that she asks of him still.

“The triathalon is a big one. It’s actually a half ironman distance. That’s a 1.2 mile swim in a lake (which is a challenge in itself as I am terrified of deep water) followed by a 56 mile bicycle ride followed by a half marathon (13.1 miles). I am aiming to complete it in less than seven hours. 

“I have so many motivations for this event, before my father passed away last year, his last present to me was a road bike as we had spoken about me trying an ironman or half distance ironman. 

“Shortly after I started training I became pregnant, we were overjoyed! “Unfortunately Dad didn’t get to meet our little man. He passed away whilst I was seven months pregnant. After the birth I felt able to let out grief, and unexpectedly one of my vocal chords paralysed leaving my airway restricted. “I couldn’t drink water without choking and even talking left me out of breath. “As a new mum and always being an active person this left me in a pretty uncomfortable place. Fast forward nine months, with lots of therapy things started to get better.”

She added: “I’m not going to lie I completely underestimated how much time you don’t have with a little one when you’re a working mummy. Our little man is 14 months old now, but luckily we have an indoor bike trainer so I’ve been training while he naps and running with him while he naps in our running buggy.

“I’ve been supported so far by… my workplace, we put on a quiz night at the Lamb Inn and raised an amazing £337.

“And Crediton Swimming Club invited me to join them on some very early morning swim sessions, which is actually great as I can get home just as our little man wakes up.”

Natalie has currently raised £825 of her £2,000 target. If you would like to help Natalie reach her target for Alzheimers Research visit her Just giving page at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/natalie-rees2021.