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James Golding to Tackle Wings for Life Triple Challenge at Festival of Sport Cornwall

by Holly Blades

The Wings for Life Triple Challenge lays down the gauntlet to the very toughest of athletes attending this summer's Festival of Sport Cornwall in September. An extreme challenge like no other, the Triple Challenge will require participants to complete events in three of the Festival's four core sports (triathlon, cyclosportives, open water swims, and beach runs).

One athlete who has already pledged to complete the challenge is Festival of Sport ambassador James Golding. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, James was given just a 5% chance of survival and his weight fell to just above 6 stone. However, he fought against the disease and was given the all clear in the summer of 2009.

James Golding

After having to re-learn to walk, James set himself the challenge of cycling from coast to coast across America. Unfortunately on his first attempt, he was hit by a truck at 70mph – an accident which saw him hospitalised. Not one to back down to a challenge, Golding returned to America in January last year, completing the route in 24 days.

The Wings for Life Triple Challenge is the next big goal for Golding, and he’s encouraging participants at the Festival of Sport to join him. This is an ideal fundraising challenge and we would encourage participants to use this opportunity to raise money for Wings for Life.

“I’m going to be doing the 150km long distance cyclosportives, the 10k open water swim and then taking on an Olympic distance triathlon the next day; it should be an interesting weekend, a perfect weekend!” said Golding.

He continued: “If you’re doing two events you might as well do three, in for a penny in for a pound. For me, it’s about raising the bar; it gives you another angle of seeing where your boundaries lie and how far you can go. Take up the challenge with me!”

St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

Nick Rusling, CEO of Participate Sport said: “We are proud that James has identified the Wings for Life Triple Challenge as one of his challenges for the summer, his truly amazing story should inspire many more to join him in taking on the Triple Challenge.”

The various options to complete the Wings for Life Triple Challenge are:

• Cycletta (Sat), Open water swim (Sat), Triathlon (Sun)
• Cycletta (under 4 hours, Sat), Beach run, Open water swim (Sun) OR Triathlon (Sun)
• Sportive (under 5.5 hours, Sat), Open water swim, (Sat), Triathlon (Sun)
• Sportive 100km (under 3 hours, Sat), Beach run (Sat), Open Water Swim (Sun) OR Triathlon (Sun)
• Beach Run (under 1.5hours), Open water swim (Sat), Triathlon (Sun)

Wings for Life are the Festival of Sport’s official charity partner and their mission is to find a cure for spinal cord injury. The charity funds promising research projects focused on how to minimise damage, stimulate repair and restore function after an injury to the spinal cord has been sustained. It distributes grants to cutting edge medical research projects and clinical trials throughout the world, and also facilitates the development of technology designed to reduce the risk of injury, particularly during sport.

Thanks to a partnership with Red Bull, the administrative costs are covered which means that 100% of all money raised goes directly to the research.

For more information about the Wings for Life Triple Challenge, please visit http://www.festivalofsport.net/triple-challenge.aspx