Cam's man of iron (From Gazette Series)

Cam's man of iron

INDESTRUCTABLE triathlete Andy Sexton is all set to take on one of the most gruelling physical challenges in the sporting world as he aims to raise funds for a charity founded by cycling star Lance Armstrong.

Cam fitness guru Sexton will be competing in the Ironman Florida Triathlon next month, one of the most punishing and extensive events on the global sporting calender.

The veteran triathlete, 32, has already completed six Ironman contests having been involved with the sport for 15 years. On November 6, he will be heading to Panama City Beach for the Florida event, and is aiming to raise as much money as he can for a charity that was founded by one of the most durable athletes of all time.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation was set up in 1997 by the American cycling superstar, who survived cancer before going on to win six Tour De France titles and becoming one of the most inspirational sportsmen in the world.

The LAF provides practical information and tools for people living with cancer and has emerged as a first point of call for many sufferers.

Sexton's challenge in Florida is extraordinary. The Ironman event consists of a 2.4 mile swim followed by 112 miles of continuous cycling and then, to finish the event off, a 26.2 mile marathon run.

Then again, he is well qualified for such a venture, having competed in Ironman triathlons in England, Germany, Lanzarote, Austria and Switzerland, with an impressive personal best time of nine hours and 56 minutes arriving at the Longest Day Triathlon in Wolverhampton in 1998. In total, he has completed six competitions in seven years.

Sexton works at BAE in Bristol and also runs his own sports massage therapy and sports coaching business. He is being sponsored by the Courtyard Physiotherapy Clinic in Dursley as he attempts to take on the challenge of Florida.

The first of the three events that the Cam man will face on the day is the 2.4 miles (3.8km) of sea swimming which will signal the mass start, with all 2000 competitors starting at the same time by diving into the sea.

Once out of the sea, the triathletes will face 112 miles (180km) of cycling, before a full marathon run signals the end of the event, with the competitors doing two laps of the Panama City sea front.

Sexton explained his strategy to the Gazette, and said: "The sea swim will hopefully take me around 65 to 70 minutes depending on sea conditions. The (cycling) course is pretty flat, but has a reputation of being windy! I hope to complete the bike course somewhere between five hours and 30 minutes and six hours.

"A full marathon run up and down the sea front at Panama City Beach is next. As you can imagine, it's pretty hard to run a marathon when you've just been exercising for six or seven hours!

"It is a continuous event with the time taken to change from sport to sport included in the overall finish time.

"It takes just a couple of minutes to swap from swim to bike and bike to run. The race starts at 7am. You have to have finished before midnight to make the cut off time."

L For further details about Sexton, log onto his website www.severnfitness.co.uk. To find out more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation, go to www.laf.org and, for details on how to sponsor Sexton, visit his donation page at www.justgiving.com/pfp/ironmanfloridatri.