Fraser Allison successfully took part in this gruelling challenge in support of his best friend, Archie Goodburn who was diagnosed in May this year, at the age of 22, with 3 Oligodendroglioma brain tumours. Fraser reports that Archie has, since then, shown unbelievable resilience and positivity which inspires him and everyone he is surrounded by. Here is Fraser’s report on the day:-

“The swim was where I felt most confident, coming from a competitive swimming background. The swim segment consisted of a 3.8km swim in the sea. The conditions were perfect, I found a rhythm and enjoyed the swim—despite a jellyfish providing a motivational kiss in the ear! I finished in 50:45, first in my age group and third overall.

The cycle is a 180km cycle to Badalona and back. The plan was to ride comfortably while focusing on nutrition. Despite being passed by many fast cyclists, I stayed in my own lane and enjoyed the ride, especially with the crowds and my family cheering. Time: 5:21

To finish it off was a 3 loop marathon around Calella. The run was my biggest challenge. I’ve battled injuries throughout training, and a week before the race, I felt a knee niggle. At kilometre 19, disaster struck as my knee gave out, forcing me to walk/hobble the remainder of the race. Mentally and physically drained, I powered through with a mix of fruit, Coke, and water to finish.

In the end, I crossed the line with a total time of 11:58:37. I’m proud to say—I am an Ironman!”