On Sunday, 15 July, I completed the Ironman Triathlon in a time of 15 hours, 29 minutes and one second.

I have been lucky enough to take part in numerous charity 10K runs and half-marathons over the years, but never something that encompassed a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a full marathon.

So, believe me when I say this was a challenge like nothing I had ever done before.

As the day of the race approached, I was a mixture of excitement and nerves, while everybody else around me thought I had lost my mind!

While I had many motives for taking part in this particular challenge, there were two main ones in particular.

One was to support the noble cause of Bridge2aid as well as raising money for numerous hospices dotted across every town in the north west that Synergy Dental has a presence; across Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton, Bury and Ormskirk.

Being a healthcare professional, these causes are something I can relate to and have full support for.

The other motive was to be a bastion of awareness and inspiration for fellow associate dentists across the industry – by demonstrating how much engaging in a fitness-related hobby can assist in alleviating some of the psychological burden that dentists carry, to ensure they are at the peak of their professional capabilities at all times and still raise money for worthy causes and make a small but effective impact.

In total we raised £1,700.