TWO Olympians have thrown their support behind a man’s sporting challenge to complete 52 triathlons in 52 weeks for disadvantaged young people.
Rob Starr, chairman of the Starr Trust Charity, is on the final stretch of completing his mammoth mission of doing an Olympic distance triathlon every week this year to raise £100k for the Sussex based charity, which supports young people to fulfil their potential.
Mr Starr embarked on the challenge because one of the young people the charity supports, Nathan Freeman, needs to raise around £15,000 to enable him to reach the next Paralympics as a wheelchair tennis player.
Until 18 months ago, the sportsman, who has cerebral palsy, was a successful wheelchair racer.
But, during a world championship race, he suffered an accident that meant he could no longer race.
Rather than give up he switched to wheelchair tennis.
The Starr Trust is awarding Nathan its maximum funding of £5,000, but this falls £10,000 short.
Mr Starr pledged to raise the rest for him and raise enough to support as many of the new applicants reaching out for help from the charity.
Supporter of the Starr Trust, Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson CBE is set to join the 53-year-old for a star-studded evening event at Soho House which will help boost the fundraising effort even further.
“I jokingly told Rob his adventures never impress me, but seriously if Rob completes this challenge then I really will be very impressed,” said Mr Thomson.
And ski jumping legend ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards, who is supporting the Starr Trust at its Winter Extravaganza Ball in Brighton this year, said: “When I heard what Rob was about to do, I thought he was mad. This is a heroic effort...well done...we are all behind you.”
Nathan Freeman said: “I can’t believe Rob is doing this for me, it’s amazing, I don’t know how he does it. Rob and the Starr Trust have been supporting me for years and they just make me feel I can achieve anything. They are such a big part of my family and are literally making this dream possible for me.”
“Now being over 70 per cent into the challenge I finally realise how difficult it is! The hardest part has been trying to keep injury free, which has not always been possible, and then carrying on regardless of the pain.
“Also as a long term sufferer of Crohns disease and arthritis I have had to cope with pushing my body way past it’s comfort zone, but movement is the best medicine, so each injury or flare up has cleared up pretty quickly.
“The other tough part about the challenge is definitely the mental aspect rather than the physical; having to push forward no matter how I feel and with no one there to support you on the dark cold mornings has taken a lot of self-discipline. But one thing I have learned about myself is that whilst I might have regretted committing to a triathlon each week I have not once regretted doing them.
“The amazing money we are raising is already changing the lives of so many young people and along the way I am becoming the fittest I have ever been. That’s a win-win in my book. Absolutely no regrets at all.”
To donate visit - the Star Trust websiite
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