Warwick Hospital worker in running, cycling, canoeing race

Eddie Whittle, the triathlon hopeful with his nephew.

Which is hardly surprising when you hear that the 36-year-old IT trainer is about to embark on a jaw-dropping Alternative Triathlon.

Not only will Eddie paddle a kayak across Lake Windermere, he’ll then hop on his bike to cycle 315 miles to London...before tackling the London Marathon.

The whole challenge will take six days to complete and be done in aid of four charities close to Eddie’s heart.

Sitting behind a mound of iced buns at the hospital, Eddie, who lives in Hatton, said: “I’m confident I can do this and have been training hard.

“Earlier this month I did the Anglesey half-marathon, cheered on by my eight-year-old nephew Jack.

“And when I start out on the Alternative Triathlon on April 21 I’ll be joined by three close friends: Gareth Beard, John McDonough and Jonathan Smith who all come from the north-west.”

Eddie first started to set himself challenges after his late father John became ill with cancer and was cared for so well by Macmillan nurses.

He said: “I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise some funds and thought about my dad and all he’d achieved. After that I just kept pushing myself to do the next event for charity - the more off the wall it was the better.”

As well as hoping to raise money for Macmillan, Eddie also wants to donate some sponsorship money to Meningitis NOW, which affected his young niece who fortunately recovered. Then there’s Cardiac Risk in the Young after a close friend died and Prostate Cancer UK which is one of the conditions his late grandfather suffered from.

Eddie will be cycling through Warwick on April 23. To find out how to sponsor him visit www.madness4charity.co.uk