Vic Weinberg lost his brother-in-law to a brain tumour earlier this year and is embarking on a challenge to complete seven triathlons on seven continents in 24 hours for the Heart of Kent Hospice from his spare room.
“I was due to compete the sprint race in Edmonton for the Age-Group Team this year,” said Weinberg. “It would have been the first time I’d raced for the team and, although it was disappointing that it was postponed, in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that important.
“When Paul was diagnosed last year it came as a complete shock. For the past year he’s been so strong in coping with it and the decline was really quick.
“The Heart of Kent Hospice were so great with him, my sister and their children throughout it all. The hospice rely heavily on donations and, because they were so supportive of our family, I really wanted to do something to help support them by raising some money for the great work they do.”
Weinberg will be completing 6.5km on a ski machine, 40km on a static bike and 5km on a treadmill seven times in 24 hours as his challenge, choosing to complete the bike leg virtually on existing triathlon courses around the world.
The Heart of Kent Hospice supports over 880 terminally ill patients and their families and, due to Covid-19, have seen fundraising events cancelled and their charity shops shut, putting financial strain on the charity.
Above: Weinberg will complete the challenge on equipment set up in his spare room
They support patients in the community and in the hospice, providing support services and activities for them and their family, as well as bereavement services once loved ones pass away. For more information about their work, visit their website here.
“This challenge will allow me to put my training to good use and support such a worthwhile cause, added Weinberg.
“Rather than just doing one long bike ride, the idea of completing seven triathlons on seven continents felt like the right challenge, plus, doing it in 24 hours would help make it really interesting.”
With the equipment set up in his spare room, Weinberg will be setting off at 6pm on Friday 7 August with his family cheering him on for the 24 hours as he looks to raise much needed funds.
“My kids have said they’re going to make banners and my wife’s going to get up during the night to keep me going,” commented Weinberg. “Although I’ve scraped into the Age-Group Team, this is completely outside of my comfort zone and beyond anything I thought I’d do.
“There’s a danger that the hospice will close down, so doing this is my way of trying to give back to them and say thank you for all the great work they’ve done for my family and so many others.”
Click on the button below to go to Weinberg’s JustGiving page to find out more about his challenge and donate towards The Heart of Kent Hospice.
