Dental charity CEO takes on Ironman Challenge

Andy Evans swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and then ran a full marathon in the prestigious Ironman Austria Kärnten on July 2. He completed the mega triathlon in 11 hours and 23 minutes, raising money for Dentaid along the way.

The event attracted 3,000 athletes and, after months of gruelling training, Andy was very pleased with his performance in the endurance race.

“Although I am a keen cyclist, before the Ironman training I didn’t run or swim, let alone combine all three in a challenge like this and I had no idea how it would go,” said Andy, who turned 40 the day before the big race.  “Doing an Ironman Challenge has been a long-held ambition and I’m so pleased to have completed the event.”

All the money Andy has raised will go towards a new project Dentaid is running in the Philippines. This August, the charity will send a team of volunteers to Umapad elementary school in Mandaue City where they will provide dental care for 1,200 children. Many of the pupils at the school live, and often have to work, on the city’s enormous rubbish dump. The festering dumpsite is home to around 5,000 people who try to make a living scavenging for items they can sell. Sadly, dental health is not a priority with many families unable to afford toothbrushes and children suffering due to a lack of dental care.