A Hyndburn man who lost his sight seven years ago ran, swam and cycled 140 miles whilst tethered to his friend in the 2024 Copenhagen Ironman – together raising more than £1,000 for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Paul Holden, 58, of Clayton-le-Moors, retired from his job of 30 years as a grounds maintenance worker for the council after being diagnosed severely sight impaired – and told his eyesight would never return.
But that hasn’t stopped him from pushing himself to the limit.
His friend and former colleague of three decades, Gary Shaw, offered to secure himself to Paul for runs and swims, so that Paul could continue to take part in triathlons. For cycling, the pair use a tandem bike.
The pair took on a gruelling training schedule in the run up to their biggest challenge yet – the Copenhagen Ironman – that saw them tackle a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run in 13 hours on Sunday, 18 August.
“My youngest son Connor had to stay in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital 20 years ago and that memory has stuck with me,” said Paul, who retired from his role at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council after his diagnosis.
“It’s just not fair that children have to deal with that. My son is 28 now, but I’ll never forget that experience. I want to do this for the children who need it.
“This has been our first ever Ironman, and also our first ever marathon – which we had to do after the swim and the cycle,” continued Paul.
“We have both been training seven days a week in the run-up. It has been really tough, but it has been worth it to raise money for the children who need it most. And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Gary.”
Gary, a Senior Team Leader at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: “We had an amazing time at the Copenhagen Ironman. The swim was in the bay of Amager Strandpark, which was so calm. Next, we headed out on the bike ride into the beautiful Denmark countryside and forests. Then we headed back into Copenhagen City for the 26.2-mile run.
“The training has been hard. We have been swimming in open water every week, running four times a week, and doing one big cycle a week. We have been doing triathlons together for around five years, but nothing on this scale. Me and Paul really bounce off each other. We have had a lot of support from our friends and family, which we are both grateful for. We both have had a very positive attitude throughout and we totally enjoyed the full experience.”
Ann-Marie Fishwick, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “What Paul and Gary have achieved together is incredible. They are fearless, and they have truly put their all into this huge challenge.
“Not only that, but they have raised an incredible amount of money and awareness that will mean the world to our families.
“It will cost £6million to run services at Derian House in 2024, so we rely on the bravery and kindness of our supporters who take part in events like these to help children whose lives are too short.”
You can still donate to Paul and Gary’s fundraiser.
Derian House, based in Chorley, Lancashire, cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
