Member Article

Dentist Completes Iron Man Record For Children’s Hospice

Fresh Smile Practice Dentist Dr. Simon Betts and his brother Tom have completed the infamous Iron Man Triathlon inside 13 hours in Copenhagen to raise much-needed funds for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

The Pair took on a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and an unforgiving 26-mile marathon around the gruelling course all in aid of the charity and had managed to raise almost £700 for the cause.

Hosted in front of 150,000 cheering fans, this year’s epic IRONMAN Triathlon took place in Denmark’s historic capital Copenhagen.

Battling against all odds, Dr. Betts sweated blood and tears while he navigated his way through the picturesque town with his brother and fellow athletes.

Although his body has been pushed to the absolute limit after a year of solid training in preparation for the grand event, Dr. Betts has said the pain and extreme physical pressure has all been worth it.

He said: “It was a very hot day in Copenhagen, and the city centre was teeming with spectators cheering us on and that really gave us a boost. It was an incredible feeling to finish, seeing our friends and family in the stands and hearing our names being called out over the loud speakers. One year in the making and finally all over!

“It meant so much to my brother and me to be racing for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. With such a long day, your mind wanders and I often thought about my friends, family and the hospice back home, and that made it impossible to quit.”

The funds raised for Huddersfield’s much-loved hospice could cover the cost of 14 hospice at home visits for children supported by the charity, whereby a care team member will go out and supports families in their own homes.

Community Fundraiser, Sammie Loucas, is delighted with the achievements of the brothers and has said their efforts will go a long way to safe-guarding the work they do in Huddersfield.

She said: “Taking on any triathlon is an amazing feat so for Simon and Tom to have completed the notorious Ironman Triathlon is truly outstanding.

“We would like to say a big thank you to Simon and Tom for raising a fantastic £660 for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. We must raise £3.8million each year and with just 4% of this coming from government funding, the support of our local community is vital.”

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice supports 150 children and their families, across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, through its hospice at home service and state of the art hospice, Russell House, located in Huddersfield.

Although the hospice is one of the top 2% of Health & Social Care providers in the UK, they rely heavily on the support of local communities and businesses.

The charity is delighted by the Fresh Smile Clinic’s involvement and has urged the community to follow in their footsteps and help protect a valued service in the region.

Dr Kirrin Punia, Principal Dentist at the Fresh Smile Clinic, added: “It means a lot to us to be able to support a charity that is so important to all of us here in Huddersfield. We knew Simon and his brother Tom would do us proud.

“They’re both extremely driven people and Simon is a vital part of everything we do here at the clinic.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jane Crosby .