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How do you follow a cycle trip across America? Why, with a double ironman event of course
Bedford man Andy Kemp prepares to swim 4.8 miles, cycle 224 miles and finally run 52 miles
A super-fit Bedfordian, who has just completed the world's toughest cycle race across America, has returned home to start training for a double ironman challenge.
After riding 3,000 miles in six days, and raising more than 10,000 for UK charity Cancerbackup, most people would take a well deserved rest, but not Andy Kemp.
The 38-year-old is now planning to enter a double ironman event in Canada, in which he will swim 4.8 miles, cycle 224 miles and cap it all off by running 52 miles.
Mr Kemp, of Castle Lane, said: "I did the ironman in Austria last year with a team from Bedford and found that easier than I expected, so I then wondered if I could do a double ironman.
"It's just about seeing how far I can push my body."
Along with teammates Richard Piron, from Lodge Avenue, Kempston, Nick Mitchell, from Northampton and Andy Griffin, from Rushden, Mr Kemp recently completed the Race Across America (RAAM), dubbed the world's toughest cycle race.
The team was raising money for a charity which supported Mr Griffin when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2003.
Mr Kemp said: "We wanted to help Andy realise his dream and to fulfil his four goals; to be a RAAM finisher, to provide inspiration to other sufferers by showing them they can lead a full life post-treatment if they put their mind to it, to raise funds and increase awareness of Cancerbackup and finally to just have fun by living the dream."
Each rider took shifts, in the saddle for six hours followed by six hours' sleep.
The team had to cope with a challenging climate and terrain, with temperatures varying between freezing and 38C with 90 per cent humidity.
Mr Kemp added: "For me, the most gruelling part was trying to keep food down during the ride through the desert, and cycling through the Rockies, which was 9,820ft up.
"The air was so thin we had to swap riders every five minutes.
"Our greatest relief came on the last day when we could finally have a beer."
Of course, not all things go to plan – as the team found out when they came across a grizzly bear. The support crew of nine friends and family members had to scare it away with horns.
Mr Piron, 55, is now considering competing in next year's RAMM as a lone
rider.
Anyone can still sponsor the team by visiting www.justgiving.com/teambackupcouk
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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