The Superhero Tri 2024
The Coalition were back at Dorney Lake on the 17th of August for another Superhero Tri. This year we had a few diary clashes and, sadly, some last-minute illnesses, so on the day we had two teams of staff and Coalition members taking part. It was another brilliant day – team members Graham, Steve and Brian share their experiences below!
Graham: I had an absolutely fantastic day at the Superhero Tri! We were truly blessed with the weather too! As a fairly new Coalition member this was my first Tri and I chose to do the swimming section of the event. I was nervous to start with but was very well supported by Coalition team members and staff, in particular Katy. I have always loved the water, and swimming, and endeavour to do what I can now post diagnosis. Choosing the swimming section therefore made perfect sense.
It was just awe inspiring to see the personal achievements of all the competitors on the day!! Physical difficulties and disabilities were swept aside by sheer determination and hard work to achieve a greater good. I found the whole experience to be inclusive, welcoming and everyone was so friendly! The camaraderie on the day was just amazing. In addition, there were a good few celebrities in attendance and I was lucky enough to get a selfie with the lovely Clare Balding! I’ll definitely be back next year and would thoroughly recommend the Superhero Tri to anyone!! Let’s go champions!!
Steve: I found the whole day absolutely brilliant, as always! It’s also challenging which is as it should be. I like to use the event as a benchmark to compare my fitness and see if there has been any changes in my illness. It’s great to see everyone giving it their all, no matter what their own difficulties are and thinking about that that really encourages you to keep going when you are struggling.
It’s a great social event too, bringing people together to do something brilliant, it’s an opportunity to see people you might not see for the rest of the year. Of course, it’s also a chance to raise money for an excellent cause. The Coalition provides a lifeline for so many people, so I jump at the chance to do something to help raise money and make a difference.
Brian: It was a lovely sunny day, unbelievable! This was my first ever Superhero Tri, and I did not want to disappoint anybody so I went one better and I just had to get a superman costume as it was sponsored by Marvel. I wanted to make a difference and achieve another goal. There were lots and lots of people there, more than I was used to but I was surrounded by very good people. I did my 2.5km walk and then my 10km bike ride more or less one after each other without a break it was amazing. There were geese in the way on the bike ride, which made it more fun and interesting. I could have gone round three times! And on the 2.5km walk I decided to sprint the last few minutes to the finish line. It was an emotional ending to achieve something surrounded by some lovely people and collecting a lovely medal afterwards. I have never seen anything like it in my life! Although it has been going on for years this was my first ever event but hopefully not my last! It’s an experience I will never forget.
A huge thank you to everyone who has so generously sponsored us so far. If you would still like to make a contribution you can still do so on our fundraising page: Fundraiser – Superhero Tri 2024! (peoplesfundraising.com)
