Rob Starr’s Olympic Triathlon Challenge progress – Charity closes in on £100k

Rob Starr Completes 39th Olympic Triathlon Challenge at Brighton & Hove Triathlon 18th Sept

Challenge to complete an Olympic Triathlon every week in 2022

Rob Starr, Chairperson of the Starr Trust Charity is in the final stretch of completing an Olympic Distance Triathlon every week in 2022, supported by Olympic Decathlete Daley Thomson CBE and Olympian ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards.

Rob completed his 39th Triathlon of the year on 18th September in the Brighton & Hove Triathlon – his mission to raise £100k to support disadvantaged young people facing roadblocks in their lives.

Rob Starr, Founder & Chairperson of Sussex based charity the Starr Trust, is on track to completing an Olympic Distance Triathlon every week during 2022 at age 53. That is fifty-two triathlons within fifty-two weeks and he has now completed thirty-eight out of his fifty-two events in an effort to raise £100,000 for the Sussex based charity.

Supporter of the Starr Trust, Olympic Gold Medallist Daley Thompson CBE is set to join Rob Starr for an star studded evening fundraising event at one of London’s most prestigious Soho House venues and former BBC Television Centre, White City.

Comments on the challenge Rob Starr has undertaken

Olympian Decathlete Daley Thompson CBE said: “I jokingly told Rob his adventures never impress me, but seriously if Rob completes this challenge then I really will be very impressed.”

Ski Jumping Olympic Legend ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards who is supporting the Starr Trust at their Winter Extravaganza Ball in Brighton this year said: “When I heard what Rob was about to do, I thought he was mad! This is a heroic effort, well done, we are all behind you.”

Nick Jones, Founder & CEO of the global membership-only club Soho House, has offered support and his team are looking forward to hosting the fundraising event at Soho House. Nick said: “Rob, Congratulations on all that you’ve achieved so far – super impressive.”

Olympic Triathlon Challenge in support of young Starrs

Rob Starr’s idea for this challenge came about because Nathan, one of the young ‘Starrs’ that the charity supports, needs to raise around £15,000 to enable him to reach the next Paralympics as a wheelchair tennis player. He is a remarkable young man who has Cerebral Palsy and who until eighteen months ago, was a successful wheelchair racer who the Starr Trust was supporting.

During a world championship race, Nathan suffered an accident that meant he could no longer race, but rather than give up he switched to wheelchair tennis and is now on the cusp of being chosen for the next Paralympics.

The Starr Trust is awarding Nathan their maximum funding of £5,000, but this falls £10,000 short. Therefore, Rob has pledged to raise this for him. The Starr Trust have a large number of applications from young people in need and Rob’s challenge is to raise enough money to support Nathan fully and also support as many of the new applicants reaching out for help.

100% of all funds raised will be given out to young people, because the charity has all its running costs covered by Rob’s company, SEICO Group and therefore uses no sponsorship money for running costs.

Rob Starr completed his first Triathlon of the challenge on 1st January 2022 and has continued weekly thereafter throughout the year to date.

Rob Starr on his progress and the challenges he faced

Nathan Freeman said: “I can’t believe Rob is doing this for me, it’s amazing, I don’t know how he does it. Rob and the Starr Trust have been supporting me for years and they just make me feel I can achieve anything. They are such a big part of my family and are literally making this dream possible for me.”

Rob Starr of the Starr Trust said: “Now being over 70% into the challenge I finally realise how difficult it is! The hardest part has been trying to keep injury free, which has not always been possible, and then carrying on regardless of the pain.

“Also as a long term sufferer of Crohns disease and Arthritis I have had to cope with pushing my body way past it’s comfort zone, but movement is the best medicine, so each injury or flare up has cleared up pretty quickly.

“The other tough part about the challenge is definitely the mental aspect rather than the physical; having to push forward no matter how I feel and with no one there to support you on the dark cold mornings has taken a lot of self-discipline.

“But one thing I have learned about myself is that whilst I might have regretted committing to a triathlon each week I have not once regretted doing them. The amazing money we are raising is already changing the lives of so many young people and along the way I am becoming the fittest I have ever been. That’s a win-win in my book. Absolutely no regrets at all.”

A weekly blog on the Starr Trust website documents Rob Starr’s progress on this mammoth challenge in the hope to inspire businesses and individuals to get involved or support however they can: www.starrtrust.org

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