UCEM team complete their own triathlon

Posted on: 13 July, 2020

Three determined UCEM members of staff didn’t allow the postponement of the JLL Property Triathlon get in the way of their goals.

UCEM’s Head of Academic Operations, Monika Bell, Operations Administrator, Phil Hodgkin, and Academic Operations Manager, Fiona Dawes, completed their own version of the team triathlon event. Phil cycled 22km, Fiona ran 5km and Monika, unable to replicate the swimming part of the event, compensated by cycling 22.6km and running 3km.

Monika before and after the triathlon

Having looked on the JLL Property Triathlon website to see which charities the event sponsors, Monika discovered that participants were being sought to take part in a Property Weekend Challenge in place of the triathlon and signed up, completing an additional 5km run and 20km cycle.

Monika explained: “I look forward to competing on behalf of UCEM at the JLL Property Triathlon every year, with it being a focus of my fitness goals. Fiona, Phil and I had agreed to take part in the team triathlon and upon learning of the understandable postponement of the event, we decided to challenge ourselves, albeit in a slightly different way.

“The triathlon event always helps raise money for charity so I thought I’d donate to the charities which would miss out due to the postponement and was pleased to see an alternative event had been organised. Never one to duck out of a challenge, I dug out my bike again and completed a second cycle and run in aid of the chosen charities.

“It was great to be able to complete the triathlons and I look forward to next year’s event, hopefully back at Eton Dorney with the usual array of competitors!”

Nearly 800 people took part in the Property Weekend Challenge, raising more than £17,500 to be split equally between homelessness charities, Crisis and LandAid. Visit www.propertytriathlon.com/uksouth-dorney/property-weekend-challenge/ to find out more.