Ironman races to the finish

Michael Mergler, Care Group Director for Substance Misuse Services at Sussex Partnership, has completed his tenth Ironman race and raised £539 for people recovering from drug and alcohol problems.

Michael, who has been competing in Ironman competitions for over 22 years, completed the Ironman Mallorca Triathlon to raise money to set up a running group in Brighton, in partnership with Cascade Creative Recovery, for people in recovery from drug and alcohol problems.

Completing the Ironman was no mean feat with the race including a 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile cycle ride and a full marathon run of 26.2 miles. But Michael took it all in his stride, completing the challenge in just 11 hours and 46 minutes with the temperature reaching 28 degrees.

“Although I have been competing in Ironman races for a long time, I wanted to do something different to celebrate my tenth one, and given my day job, it seemed obvious that I could use the competition to raise money for Heads On.

I particularly wanted to support people in recovery from drug and alcohol problems who were keen to participate in sport and so a running group with Cascade seemed a perfect fit. It will provide a great opportunity for people to come together to enjoy the social aspect of running and there is also compelling evidence that supports the benefits of physical activity as part of personal recovery.”