SWINDON’S very own endurance superhero Graham Smedley has taken his love of competitive sporting events to a new level after completing 10 triathlons in 10 days.

The 54-year-old, who lives in East Wichel, has so far managed to raise over £1,700 for Prospect Hospice after taking part in the DECA UK Ultra Endurance Triathlon last week.

The event, held at Dorney Lake in Windsor, requires brave competitors to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26 miles each day to complete the challenge.

Powered by Herbalife nutrition and with crew support from his wife Claire, Graham finally crossed the finish line and was one of five participants to complete the DECA out of 14 starters.

Bruised and battered but elated, Graham described the experience as "life-changing" and a "serious challenge of mental grit and determination".

He said: “I trained solidly for a year for this event but nothing can really prepare you for the challenges an event like the DECA brings. I injured my Achilles quite early on in the event which presented a whole new set of unexpected hurdles.

“A particular low point was breaking down by the lake after two hours sleep when the realisation hit me that I might not complete this thing. The physical exhaustion was immense but the support of my wife Claire and the camaraderie between the participants powered me on.

“You soon learn if you’re the kind of person who can go on or not. It’s a true test of character and strength.”

Graham, who works at Nationwide, decided to do the gruelling triathlon challenge in aid of Prospect Hospice to help their work within the local community.

Graham and his wife Claire are known faces on the endurance scene and have some serious race credentials under their belts, including ten ultra-marathons and a first place win in last year’s Enduroman Triple DECA for Graham.

As such, the DECA was the next obvious step for the data analyst and marked the third event of its kind in the UK.

Graham added: “The Achilles injury meant I wasn’t able to compete as I’d hoped and I’m not sure if I’ve come to terms with that yet.

“There is another format of the DECA called ‘the continuous DECA’ which is the same as the DECA UK but all in one go, so you swim 24 miles, cover 1,120 miles on the bike and run 260 miles so watch this space.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Graham-DecaUK