Divers to compete in triathlon for The Shark Trust

Nick and Caroline, of Frogfish Photography, who are also regular writers for Sport Diver, have organised a group of divers to take part in the Chorlton X Triathlon to raise money for The Shark Trust.

The event, which takes place on 10 June, will see four teams of three competing as well as two individuals who will be braving the course in its entirety. The triathlon will consist of a 750m open water swim, a 17km cross country bike ride and an 8km run to the finish line.

The teams and individuals have all setup fundraising websites to ensure that their efforts raise money for The Shark Trust. “Each year we try to think of a way of raising some money for this important charity, but this year, we are doing something that will be a real challenge to most of us,” said Nick, who will be completing the run as part of the Frogfish Team.

Caroline has also started training by going to open water swimming training sessions in Salford Quays, where the temperature is still only 10 degrees. “The water temperature was a real shock, as I would usually be in a drysuit to enter water this cold, but I guess it encourages you to swim faster!”

The teams and individuals hope to raise several thousand pounds, and have already tipped the £1,500 mark in their fundraising efforts. “Those that know us (Nick and Caroline) will know that this will be a very real physical challenge and so donations have been very generous.”

Established in 1997, the Shark Trust is the UK registered charity which works to advance the worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action. As apex predators sharks fulfil a key role in marine ecosystems. Recent assessments by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group ranked the sharks of the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea with the worst conservation status of all assessed regions: >30% of EU and >50% of UK shark species are listed as threatened, some species are reported to have declined by 99%.

EU Member states are included in the world’s top 20 shark fishing nations. Europe supplies ~30% of shark fins entering the Hong Kong trade, with demand for fins increasing at 5% per year. Globally sharks are further threatened by illegal, unreported and unmanaged fisheries and do not benefit from any international fisheries management.

As a leading shark advocacy organisation the Shark Trust has been at the forefront of a rapidly changing landscape of shark conservation and management. Your support will help the Trust continue to deliver this essential work.

If you would like to sponsor the Frogfish team, click here.

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