Back in November, supporter David Stokes completed the half-ironman challenge in the blazing Australian heat to raise money for LUCIA. We can't thank him enough for his efforts and for inspiring us all to go that extra mile! Here he tells of his experience...

"On the 15th November 2009 I completed my first half-ironman in aid of LUCIA. A half-ironman is a type of triathlon, i.e. it involves a swim, a bike ride and a run in succession. The main reason for using the term 'ironman' is the distances involved, namely a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride followed by a 21km run (a half marathon).

I said I completed it, however what I haven't mentioned was that it took place in Shepparton, a small town in the middle of Victoria in Australia. Located at least 200km from the sea, there were blue skies, a bright sun and temperatures of 36C.

The day of the race started off with a reality check. My partner in crime Iain Sanders and I were checking into the event and getting ready for the 1.9km open water swim (in a muddy lake with a water temp of 26C) when it dawned upon us that our fellow competitors were a collection of Australia's elite athletes showcasing their well formed muscles and tanned bodies. Admittedly these were probably sprayed on...at least that's what I consoled myself with whilst people put on their sunnies to look at my blinding white body! There were six packs in abundance and very few sporting the party packs Iain and myself had paid good money for down at the local pub whilst carbo loading.

Well everything I had read about the swim was true...I got swum over the top of...had arms flailing into me...feet in my face....and all this whilst I couldn't see in the muddy water...not my idea of fun! Plus I managed to drink half the lake.

Now the bike ride was good fun! As I exited the transition area after the swim I joined the circuit just as some of the elite were completing their first circuit (they did start ahead of me...it was a wave start), so I tagged along with the guys 'n' gals. I was most surprised when a motorbike came up alongside me with a photographer who was taking photos of the elite, plus me....guess not as surprised as the photographer will be when he develops his photos! During the ride the temperatures soared to 35.5C and the wind picked up, so it was time to conserve energy for the 21km run soon to come.

Within five minutes of beginning the run I was having serious doubts about completing the event - so much so, I was considering paying back all of the donations I had received and just giving the money myself to LUCIA. I was hot, bothered, losing about 4 litres of sweat p/hr (a faster pace than I was running) and my knotted hanky was drenched through. I was not feeling my best, especially with all those Aussie gods and goddesses around me. Needless to say I pulled up my shorts (they were slipping down with the sweat), wrung out my hanky and thought of all the beer I could consume to replace those lost fluids. I completed the run in 2hrs 18mins and was welcomed by a big bag of ice and a cold wet towel wrapped around me. Overall I had finished 549th in 6hrs 14mins. I was then escorted to the recovery tent where all the athletes go for food, water, and other goodies. After ten or so minutes I felt quite cold and realised I was now in the shade, so went outside to bask in the sun and warm up!

Of the 684 competitors who registered, only 654 turned up on the day with only 626 finishing (28 pulled out at various stages during the race). Of the 654 a few required medical attention such as IV drips, but thankfully Iain and I were not among them. At this point I should mention that Iain Sanders was that 626th person and beat the maximum time allowed for the event by 9 minutes, coming home in 7hrs 36mins. He passed the finishing line to a standing ovation from the crowd (and the largest cheer for any of the competitors) as despite everything he was determined, come what may, to complete the event...now that's a true Aussie god.

Now, a few weeks after the event, I'm quite proud of the people who sponsored me and the money raised, knowing that the money given will go to a good cause and will make a huge difference to people's lives in Ethiopia. When reflecting upon this it certainly helps to put my 6hrs of suffering into perspective; it was nothing in comparison. Would I do it again...the answer is probably yes, so watch this space!"