A furniture designer who admits he has never been one for the water has started taking a novel route home from work - swimming down the River Thames, writes STEPHEN DEAL.

James Wigmore, 44, has decided to combat his dislike of swimming by taking part in the ultimate challenge - the London Triathlon.

The event involves swimming for one mile in West India Quay, before cycling for 25 miles and then finishing off with a six-mile run.

James, of St Nicholas Green, Abingdon, has taken up the challenge to raise money for the Carys Wilmshurst Memorial Fund - set up in memory of an Abingdon mum-of-three who died from cancer aged 42.

He said: "Our families have always been very good friends with each other and I wanted to really set myself a challenge to raise money. "The hardest part is the swimming. I have never been very keen on it and got slung off a lifeguard course at school because I wasn't a good enough swimmer."

He admits that he stayed a virtual non-swimmer until just over a year ago when he decided to start preparing for the triathlon.

His dedication has had no barriers. As well as giving up drinking alcohol almost a year ago, his training in recent weeks has included cycling from work in Dorchester-on-Thames to the River Thames in Culham, climbing into his wetsuit and then swimming alongside the swans. Mr Wigmore said: "It would be very easy to pop into the Old Gaol leisure centre instead but I'm going to be swimming in open water in the Docklands, so I need to get used to it.

"There's not many people around on the Thames but people on boats do give me some strange looks! If I stop for a rest, they often ask me exactly what I'm up to." He added: "I also need a bath when I get home because it's extremely cold in there.

"One of the hardest parts of the triathlon will be climbing out of the water, getting out of the wetsuit, drying myself off and then getting on the bike and setting off again."

Wife Sue joked: "His trip home from work recently has meant either battling with swans on the Thames, cycling to here via Newcastle or somewhere, or running."

She will join the couple's daughters, Ellen, 14, and Catherine, 11, in London on Saturday, when the triathlon takes place.

Mr Wigmore does need to meet another challenge, though. He won his place in the triathlon with the support of Macmillan Nurses and has pledged to raise £1,000 for the charity as well as another £1,000 for Carys' fund.

He said: "It has effectively doubled my target."

Anyone who would like to sponsor him should call 01865 340028 (daytime) or 01235 531715 (evening).

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