To celebrate turning 18, two young triathletes are taking to their indoor bikes to cycle for 18 hours in aid of the NHS.
Jack Stanton-Stock should have been enjoying his middle year as an Elite Junior with the England Next Generation Performance Squad at British Triathlon.
With no more school and nothing specific to train for as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and UK lockdown, he has decided to come up with a challenge to keep him ticking over and to raise money for charity.
Along with fellow British Triathlon Elite Junior athlete Dan Dixon, who shares the same birthday, the pair have decided to spend 18 hours on their static bikes on their 18th birthday.
They will start at midnight on Thursday May 14 and cycle all day, stopping for a 20-minute break every six hours so that they can shower and change.
During the 18 hours, all eating and drinking (of which there needs to be a lot!) will be done while cycling on Zwift, a virtual platform which allows other riders from across the country and world to join them if they wish.
The pair have decided to raise money for the NHS and associated charities and are hoping to raise over £2000. They are already on their way with a total of over £800 and you can support them by donating via their Just Giving page.
A number of organisations have supported them so far with British Triathlon, the national governing body for the sport, helping them to plan their preparation and work out carefully just how much exercise and food they will need during and after this epic ride.
SuperLeague Triathlon, a global event organisation who arrange high octane events around the globe, have also been very supportive and offered to keep everyone updated with their progress on the day.
The youngsters have podiumed at European and SuperLeague events and they will be sharing further information and clips from both boys on their social media platforms.
Local company DH Thomas Opticians, who are sponsoring Stanton-Stock this year, and SportsAid, a funding body who provide sponsorship to up-and-coming athletes, have also helped significantly with sponsorship over the past two years.
Several companies such as Tri 247 and Limar have offered their support and the boys are hoping to do challenges and prize drops during the challenge.
Keep an eye on social media for further details and to make a donation go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/18hoursfor18years.
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