A local osteopath and father-of-two has undertaken the ultimate challenge in aid of raising funds for The Princess Alexandra Hospital Charity.
Neil Rowe, aged 44, from Epping, challenged himself to complete the Iron Man challenge to fundraise for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT), who cared for both of his sons who had serious health complications after their premature arrivals.
Neil said: “I’m very happy and proud to have achieved the status of being an ‘Ironman’ after completing a 2.4mile swim in the open water of the sea, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon to finish.
“To put that into context, it’s similar to swimming from one side of Harlow to the other side of Harlow, then cycling from Harlow to Birmingham and finishing with a run from Harlow to London, or thereabouts.
“I wanted to raise funds for the NICU as a thank you for the care that they provided for both of my sons, Ralph and Sam.
“Ralph was diagnosed with collapsed lung after he was born prematurely at 29 weeks; the air in his chest cavity began to put pressure onto his heart, which resulted in round the clock care for over 54 days. Sam was also cared for in the NICU for 16 days after being born at 32 weeks, during the Covid pandemic.
“I trained intensely for eight months, which included swimming, cycling and running, with an occasional rest day. In the final months of training, my weekends were filled with extremely long training sessions, for anywhere up to ten hours a day away from the family. I’m grateful to my wife Laura for allowing me the time to do this.
“Both Laura and I are completely overwhelmed by the support that we have received. So far, we have raised over £10,700 and almost £13,000 with Gift Aid.
“We are so grateful to the NICU team for the care that they provided to our two precious boys, who are now three, soon to be four, and two, and for the emotional support that we received during this very difficult time in our lives. Baby number three’s arrival is imminent and we’re hoping for a shorter stay or avoiding NICU altogether, albeit, they make it feel normal for us”.
Sharon McNally, chief nurse and deputy chief executive at PAHT, said: “A heartfelt thank you to Neil for undertaking this gruelling challenge, which was by no means an easy task, to raise an astonishing amount of money for our NICU.
“A big thank you also to those who have generously donated to the cause. The money raised will help to enhance the care that we provide for sick newborn babies and fund new specialist equipment.
“There is still time to donate to the fantastic cause, please visit Neil’s JustGiving page. Every donation makes a real difference, no matter how big or small.”