A Frome man has completed one of the ‘hardest challenges’ of his life, raising nearly £5,000 for three charities.
Ben Hansell swam 15.5 kilometres, cycled 607 kilometres and ran 120 kilometres in five days, raising £4,742.40 for cancer counselling charity We Hear You, local mental health charity Big Moose and children’s cancer charity Morgan’s Army.
Initially, Ben had set his sights on completing five Ironman events in five days. However, after falling ill on the first day, he was forced to reduce the distances.
“When I started on the first day it was all going fine, then I got to the run and I got really sick,” he said. “I was taking lots of nutrition, like energy gels and stuff, but for the first time ever it just didn’t agree with me and I had terrible stomach cramps.”
Determined to continue, Ben finished the first day at 11pm. He said, “I couldn’t sleep, so I got up the next day and continued to do the distance but I just couldn’t run. I then decided to alter the challenge and do an Ironman with a half Ironman.”
He cycled and ran in and around Frome and swam at Bath University. He said people were able to join him for parts of the cycle and runs.
“It will be a few years until I attempt something else,” he said. “It’s been suggested by pretty much every member of my family that they won’t be very happy if I do anything like this again, but I will look to do something else at some point.”
