Scuba instructor to take on major triathlon challenge for charity

Andy Stone, from Eccleshall, will take on the gruelling challenge – with each triathlon being 70.3 miles long – in April next year.

The scuba instructor, who has taken a year off to focus on the challenge and preparation for it, said he was "excited" and "petrified".

He said: "I mean there's a few reasons – one of them being 'why not?'. I've always struggled with addiction – alcohol, cocaine and drug abuse and that kind of thing, and I've never been able to hold a job down. I've had around 50 jobs in 20 years.

"I went to residential rehab just over six years ago and it's been a difficult journey getting to where I am today, and it's almost like I'm kind of in a position to have a go at something like this now.

"I consider myself beyond fortunate and I've thought about doing this a few years ago but I wasn't in a position to do it, mentally or physically, and now I think I can do it. It's almost about proving something to myself.

"I'm 40 and I've still got ambition and I want to achieve something. This is my way of putting my flag in the ground and say 'I'm doing this'. I'm as excited as I am petrified by it. Sometimes I think 'you've got this' and other times I think to myself 'oh my god'."

Andy said he was inspired by James Lawrence, a Canadian athlete who took on and complete 50 "Iron Man" triathlons over 50 days in all 50 states in America. His attempt led him to be nicknamed the Iron Cowboy.

The scuba instructor said the charities which will benefit from the challenge are yet to be decided but said they would choose charities which help people with their mental health and a charity which offers addiction support.

Andy is now preparing himself for the event, having taken on a 17 miles for 17 days challenge – and he's currently now taking on a 35 miles for 35 days challenge, before he will undertake a six-month training camp to prepare him for the main event in April next year.

"It's difficult to train for something that big," he said. "Winter training will be very hard, but when I'm through all that I know I'm doing everything I can [to take on the challenge]. A lot of AA stuff [Alcoholics Anonymous, which he is a member of] is about mental preparation and how to cope and a lot of that stuff is helpful [for this]."

Andy, who has worked as a scuba instructor Asia and the Caribbean, said he returned home due to Covid and said it had been strange – having been "on a beach" to finding himself back home in the UK last year.

He described the second lockdown as tough but said he had been helped by his girlfriend Sally Fenton, with the pair both focusing on arranging this challenge which Andy said provided a boost for his mental health.

The 40-year-old said there was "no record" for this at the moment and he, alongside his girlfriend, had been in discussions with the Guinness World Records over what they needed to do.

But because there is no official record, the reference book sets out a "record" – and strict criteria – which a person needs to beat in order to be awarded the official record. And after discussions with officials, it was approved.

Andy needs to complete each triathlon in a calendar day, with a chartered land surveyor being involved to properly check the route. The start and finish of each attempt needs to be filmed and they also need to have a race manager present.

The scuba instructor is hoping to land the record for most 70.3 mile triathlons in succession and the most completed in a year. He is hoping to finish at the Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire, which will take place in Stafford in June.

For more information about the challenge, visit facebook.com/AndyStoneTriChallenge/