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Sittingbourne man John Dighton takes part in Iron Man competition in memory of his son who died of brain tumour

John Dighton competing in the Iron Man Challenge in Somerset
John Dighton competing in the Iron Man Challenge in Somerset

A dad turned Iron Man for a dynamic challenge on the anniversary of his son’s death.

There was to be no Father’s Day lie-in for John Dighton. The 55-year-old from Gayhurst Drive, Sittingbourne, was preparing for a 70.3-mile assault on Exmoor National Park in Somerset.

It involved a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile half marathon - so much for a day of rest.

But the cause couldn’t have been anymore worthwhile, as John was competing in the Iron Man Challenge in memory of his son Louis.

The 19-year-old former Westlands’ sixth form student died of a brain tumour on Father’s Day last year.

On a day when dads everywhere were being treated by their children, John was pushing himself to the physical limits for his beloved son.

He said: “l was looking for someway to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.

Former Westlands' sixth form pupil, Louis Dighton, who died last year aged 19 from a brain tumour
Former Westlands' sixth form pupil, Louis Dighton, who died last year aged 19 from a brain tumour

“I’ve done about 50 triathlons in my time, but I stopped doing them regularly when Louis was born.

“Brain tumours kill more children and people under 40 than any other cancer, but I was surprised to learn how underfunded research into the disease is.”

“I wanted to do something to help, and triathlons are what I know.”

John, a PVC installer, hopes his efforts will have raised more than £1,000 for the charity.

The titanic task took a little under eight hours to complete and he was one of 1,700 athletes takingpart.

Having trained long and hard for the contest, he said he felt fine at the finish, but was adamant it’s not an experience he wanted to repeat.

“I’m going to stick to the short ones from now on,” he said.

“Training takes up too much time - long bike rides, long runs and swimming. It’s taken over my life for the past six months.”

Supporting John last weekend was his partner Sue, 55 and daughter Charlotte, 26.

They are now looking to put together quiz nights and garden parties to keep the charity cash coming.

Louis died 42 weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2011.

John, the Iron Man with a heart of gold, said he felt his son’s spirit during every step of the challenge.

  • To donate to John’s challenge, visit Virgin Money Giving and type “John Dighton” in the search bar.
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