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Embarking on an epic event like building the Optician Ironman team is a bit like marshalling a crew for an ocean-going voyage. The project brings together seven athletes, all of varying abilities and experience and all located in different places around the country. The journey will see the team take part in the UK Ironman 70.3 triathlon on June 15 this year. The athletes will swim 1.9km in the icy waters of Wimbleball Lake, cycle 90km around the Exmoor hills and finally run a half marathon.

Anyone who knows the severe terrain of the area will realise just how daunting even completing such a challenge is, but to increase the pressure all the stages have cut-off times. This is no fun run, it's a serious sporting endeavour that requires meticulous planning and training. The goal is to complete the course, in reasonable times, and raise as much money for world sight charity Vision Aid Overseas as possible.

Raising sponsorship

To help equip and motivate the crew the team's founder and organiser, Optician editor Chris Bennett, enlisted the help of Jeremy Jalie from VAO. Jalie and Bennett then transformed some of the kind offers of support from the optical community into practical help for the team.

Transitions was the first with an offer to underwrite the costs of the kit the team would race in. It also shared its knowledge from the Monaco Ironman experience last year. Rodenstock was keen to supply Pro Act sports sunwear and Johnson & Johnson made an offer of contact lenses. Swimming goggles were a hot topic of conversation on the team's online chat room. Many of the athletes expressed positive feedback on the Aqua Sphere products. Bennett received an offer of goggles for the whole team.

Perhaps the greatest excitement was the provision of a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS tracking and heart rate monitor device. This was funded by Birmingham Optical Group which was keen to support the team and VAO. Optisoft provided nutrition packs of gels, bars and drink mixes to help the team with their training and on their way around the course.

So what's been happening since our six sporting optoms and DOs signed up and how has their training been going? Optometrist Fiona Bosher, who works with the Matheson group in Hampshire, is virtually a veteran of triathlon. As well as competing in last year's Monaco Ironman 70.3 and the world championships in Florida, Bosher has recently been signed up for the UK age group trials at Olympic distance. Meanwhile, Transitions is helping with training and travel costs for the world championships which take place in Vancouver just days before the UK Ironman 70.3.

A typical entry from Bosher on the team chat room read: 'I had a tough cycle on Saturday, a lot of head wind and my inner thighs and groin area were completely zapped. I had no energy and it was painful.' She said the arrival of the Garmin really helped with her motivation and gave her the impetus to get back on the road to see how she was improving.

Emma Saville, a mobile DO with Batemans in Surrey, has been another enthusiastic team member asking and answering questions about training, equipment and events. She has also been drawing on the support of her family who have made a flag to support the team.

Lyndon Ferguson, an optometrist working at Horrocks and Boyd in Kingston and Ultralase in Guildford, organised perhaps the most successful training events to date, a Sunday morning ride through the Surrey Hills. Bennett, Saville and her husband Steve came along and the four made their way through the lanes and up some pretty useful hills.

Andy Armstrong, an optometrist working in private practice in Yorkshire, is the team's friend in the north. He organised an open water swim near Datchet. Unfortunately, the venue had to delay opening because of the cold weather. But Armstrong is made of sterner stuff. He had already shared with the team his experiences of the Edale Skyline Fell Race. Armstrong completed the rollercoaster run in 4 hours 13 mins for the course of 21 miles and 4,500ft of climbing.

Local knowledge

James Eastwood, a DO with Dyer and Scott in Bristol, has carved out a niche as the team's local point man advising on the terrain and recounting stories about the course. Eastwood also has experience of coaching triathletes, so has been useful in advising on cycling drills, injury prevention and bike set-up. He has also suggested swim training drills and strength ideas.

Rob Dunford, an optometrist with Batemans in Cornwall, is the most experienced member, having completed many full Ironman events. Dunford exudes an aura of supreme confidence and reminds the more anxious team members to relax and to remember important elements of training like proper rest.

As with all the team members, Dunford is juggling the demands of training with a busy family life and less-than-ideal training conditions. But he admits that come the summer things will change. 'I am lucky enough, when brave enough, to have a sea swim and join the 70-year-olds in their swim trunks, with my full wetsuit, hat and so on and I still come out shivering.'

● The next big event for the team is a ride around the UK Ironman 70.3 course. Follow the team's blog by going to www.opticianonline.net  or made a donation to VAO by going to www.justgiving.com/opticianironman

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