Sisters who have attracted global support in a stem cell campaign to save their father’s life have completed a triathlon to raise awareness.
Emma and Sophie Ireland hit the headlines earlier this year when the family campaign to find a stem cell match for father Rob Ireland went global.
From May: Daughters of cancer victim overwhelmed by international response to Facebook plea
The family, of Arthur Road, Wimbledon, more than doubled the numbers of people on the bone marrow donor register across the country and had more than 48,000 likes on two Facebook pages in a short space of time.
Following unsuccessful chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Mr Ireland’s only chance of recovery is a stem cell transplant.
Emma and Sophie joined thousands of other triathletes at the weekend and crossed the finish line together, after a tough course which started with a swim then a cycle, then a run around the Blenheim Palace grounds, below.
It was a sprint triathlon, with a 750metre swim, a 19.8km cycle followed by a 5.4km run.
The sisters clocked an identical time of one hour 53 seconds and 30 milliseconds at the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon 2015.
They did the triathlon this time last year with their father - days after he was told his lymph nodes were swollen and he was diagnosed with lymphoma a month later.
Emma said: "In true Robert Ireland fashion he went ahead with the tri and of course beat me. We were hoping he’d be doing the 2015 triathlon cancer free with us but instead he’s spent the day cheering us on from the side.
"Cheers included ‘pedal faster’ or ‘I can run faster than that.’ Bring on 2016 dad!"
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research has seen more than £450,000 raised through the 2015 event to support their work in finding causes, improving diagnosis and treatments, and running ground-breaking clinical trials for all blood cancer patients.
If you’re 16 to 30 years-old and in good health you can join the donor register online at www.anthonynolan.org.
You can also donate £3 to Anthony Nolan by texting HOPE to 80010. At the beginning of June, Sophie cycled 100km through the streets of London at night in the London Nightrider event for Anthony Nolan.
If you are over 30 join the Delete Blood Cancer UK register at www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk.
Find the Give our Dad a Bone (Marrow Transplant) on Facebook.
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