ENDURANCE fundraising does not come much tougher than the events in which local resident Paul Parrish has taken part over the years.

And he has now learned that his fundraising has gained national recognition and he has been short-listed for the annual Just Giving Awards as Endurance Fundraiser of the Year, making a shortlist of just three people in the country.

Over five years Paul raised over £28,000 for Grove House where he was fundraising director.

Keen to motivate supporters to try something special he set himself the target of completing endurance triathlons of ever increasing distances. It culminated in his completion of a Triple Ironman distance triathlon last year which secured him a place as one of the three finalists at the awards ceremony which is being held in London next Thursday, April 11.

The Triple Ironman consisted of a 7.2-mile swim followed by a 336-mile cycle ride and culminating in a 78-mile run which Paul completed in 59 hours, one of only four people to attempt that feat in 2012.

Speaking of the award Paul, who lives with his family in Wheathampstead, said: “I am delighted to have been nominated for this award. It is nice to be singled out in this way but, working for a charity, I see people doing extraordinary things every day and I am no different to them – well, maybe a bit more extreme.

“I would encourage everybody, just once, to do something that they can be proud of for a charity of their choice. It doesn’t have to be extreme but make it a challenge and enjoy the satisfaction it brings.”

Paul now works for Aspire, the national spinal injuries charity based in Stanmore. This August he plans to swim the English Channel for them as part of a sponsored relay team.

In September 2014, he will attemt his toughest challenge yet – to become one of a tiny group of people who have attempted the famous Arch to Arc triathlon: an 87-mile run from Marble Arch to Dover, a solo swim of the Channel finishing with a 180-mile cycle ride to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.