Triathlons at the double for Ross

The dad of two from Battock Road in Brightons plans to complete two Ironman triathlon events – swimming, cycling and then a full marathon distance run – in two days.

Ross is making the super effort for brave Ashlee Easton from Brightons.

The 10-year-old was was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in 2013 and spent nearly a year in Yorkhill Hospital undergoing gruelling chemotherapy.

In 2015, when she was feeling a lot better, her schoolmates at Wallacestone Primary and friends and family rallied round to raise money to send the youngster on a ‘dream come true’ holiday to Disney World in Florida with her mum and dad, Lisa and Donald and big brother Jayden.

When Camelon-born businessman, Bart McDade, who now lives and works in New York, heard about Ashlee’s courageous fight, he made a valuable contribution to make the trip possible.

Sadly, Ashlee’s cancer returned last summer and she is now undergoing more invasive treatment.

Over the years her parents have helped raise thousands of pounds for the Neuroblastoma UK charity which uses its resources to fund clinical trials into finding a cure for the cancer.

It is that charity Ross is hoping to help when he travels to Dorney Lake outside Windsor on October 6 to compete in the first of the two Ironman challenges.

The 40-year-old sales manager with Prudential in Stirling said: “My son Arron knows Ashlee from primary school, but the entire community here is aware of what she and her family are going through.

“When I look at my fit and healthy son who is 11 and his sister Amy, who is eight, it makes me feel very grateful and reminds me just how lucky my wife Margaret and I are.”

The dedicated athlete added: “I’ve completed a fair number if triathlons, which involves running, cycling and more running, over the years and my first Ironman was in Bolton in 2014, although that only involved a half marathon at the end, so when I heard about the double header in Windsor next month I thought ‘why not?’ I can do it, so let’s do it now and help raise money that could help a great little girl.”

Ross trains most nights and on Saturday mornings as a head coach with Grangemouth Triathlon Club takes charge of the adult sessions at Grangemouth High School, so physically he is in pretty good shape.

He still knows he has raised the bar with his latest idea though.

The Ironman triathlon is a Champions League endurance test generally considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world, so to complete two in two days will be some feat.

On Saturday, October 7, Ross will swim 2.4 miles across the lake, cycle 112 miles around a 4.5 mile circuit and then run the same route for a distance of 26.2 miles.

Then at 6am on Sunday he intends to get up and do it all over again!

To help Ross support Neuroblastoma UK you can make a donation by going to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/rosscrombie2.