An incredible 42km run, an exhausting 9km swim and an amazing 100km cycle - raising more than £10,000 so far - and all as Storm Francis hit the Isle of Wight!

Sam Blanchard, 34, undertook the Trisle of Wight triathlon challenge late last month (August) and it is not too late to reward his efforts. 

He has already raised over £10,000 via JustGiving (click HERE for the link), smashing his original target.

The cash will be split between PSPA awareness (a rare condition which his dad is living with), Mountbatten and Surfers Against Sewage.

Trisle of Wight saw the professional physiotherapist for the Manchester City FC Academy undertake an open water swim of 9km, from Ryde to Cowes.

He then cycled 100km around the Isle of Wight. And, if that wasn’t enough, he ran 42km, from The Needles Battery to Yaverland. 

What inspired him?

Isle of Wight County Press:

Mark Blanchard was among those on hand to support his son's challenge

In 2017, Sam’s dad Mark Blanchard, from Gurnard, was diagnosed with Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy (PSP).

Today, he’s living with the rare debilitating condition, which is similar to Parkinson’s, but which affects the entire brain - impacting balance, mobility, speech, sight, memory and decision making. 

Around three in 100,000 people are affected by the little-understood condition which has no cure and can go undiagnosed for years - dismissed as drunkenness due to the way it impacts someone living with it.

Comedian and actor, Dudley Moore, who died aged just 66, was among those affected.

"This is all about my dad!" 

Sam said: “My dad had always been super fit and was a passionate cyclist, and was chairman of the Vectis Cycling Club from 2006-2016 so cycling was my starting point.” 

“Having been lucky enough to grow up on the Island and enjoy the beautiful beaches and waters, having trained for hours in the sea, I’m acutely mindful of how privileged we are to have this incredible resource on our doorstep and I feel quite passionately that we all have a responsibility to protect our seas.

“At the end of the day, this is all about my dad for me, and doing something to make him proud, to do my bit to help others like him. There’s no cure at the moment but hopefully there will be one day.”

Isle of Wight County Press:

Sam’s training involved completing 8,356 lengths of a 25m pool, the equivalent of over 13 marathons and a 2000km covered by bike.

He was supported by a team of trainers - and social media experts so Sam’s dad could follow his progress every step of the way. 

Supportive dad Mark met Sam at the end of each stage, as was there for the finish even despite being rushed to  A and E in the middle of it all.