Jay’s Triathlon Challenge raises £2,140 for Bournemouth Hospital!

Our Telemarketing Manager here at 4Com, Jay Fletcher, wanted to take on a challenge to raise money for the local NHS Trust. As a result, he completed his very own Sandbanks Sprint Triathlon at the start of September raising a total of £2,140 thanks to match-funding from The 4Com Foundation.

Jay had registered to take part in the official Sandbanks Sprint Triathlon earlier in the year but unfortunately this was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, determined to take on the challenge and raise vital funds, Jay persevered with his tough training schedule and set out to complete the official triathlon route on his own using a smart watch to track his progress, whilst relying on kind friends and family to act as marshals.

The route started with a 750m sea swim, followed by a 26km bike ride and finishing with a 5km run. Jay said, “I really enjoyed training and completing the triathlon! The sea was quite warm in the morning which was surprising – getting out was not nice! The cycle was probably the most rewarding and challenging part of the event because I pushed myself the hardest on race day. After five minutes of running, I managed to get into a nice flow.”

He continued, “all in all, the triathlon was very difficult but I am really pleased with the time I completed it in and would definitely do it again! I’m proud to have raised much-needed money for Ward 16 at Bournemouth Hospital as they help thousands of people across the Bournemouth area every year.”

With the NHS under great pressure as a result of the current pandemic, Jay has also used this fundraising event as a way of showing his appreciation for our National Health Service.

Karen Smith, Fundraising Manager at Bournemouth Hospital Charity, said “we are so grateful for the incredible fundraising initiative Jay has shown. The Sandbanks Sprint Triathlon is an incredible achievement showing such determination and commitment. The funds raised will go directly to the Colorectal Unit as requested and will be used to support the department and fund items above and beyond what is funded by the NHS, so are of enormous benefit.”

Jay raised an incredible £1,070 thanks to generous donations from friends, family and colleagues, with every single pound raised then match-funded by The 4Com Foundation. Since 2014, over £250,000 has been donated to local and national charities by the 4Com Foundation, which is run by 4Com employees. In recent months, donations of much-needed telecoms equipment have been made to help NHS Trusts continue video and phone call appointments where face-to-face appointments have not been possible.