FITNESS fanatic Marc Laithwaite proved more than a match for the big guns of America and Canada when he clinched the gruelling Individual Lowe Alpine Western Isles Endurance Challenge.

The 25-year-old sports lecturer at St Helens College, is used to navigating tough courses - he is the 1997 British Quadrathlon number one - and they don't come much tougher than the three-day Western Isles race.

Generally considered to be one of Europe's most strenuous courses, competitors have to travel the 200 miles between the Isle of Barra - the southernmost tip of the Outer Hebrides - to the northernmost tip, the Butt of Lewis, on foot, cycling and kayak canoeing across the Atlantic Ocean in between the islands.

And Marc's win was made even more impressive by the fact that he almost had to drop out when his back-up crew let him down the night before the race started. He told the Star: "Each individual competitor has to have a back-up team to help carry equipment. I took three bikes with me to negotiate various terrains and I also had a canoe so the race couldn't be done without back-up help. Fortunately, my girlfriend went along to help me and I met a guy on the island who agreed to help out as well."

And he claims that the joint challenge from America and Canada, whose competitors were heavily sponsored and hotly tipped to win, helped him to victory in the end.

Commenting on the race rivalry, the former Cowley High pupil, added: "I was spurred on by the fact that I wasn't considered as serious cmpetition for the visiting Americans, they seemed to think it was a foregone conclusion that they would win. I was the only British competitor in the race and I had to prove that I was a match for anyone, and that the key to success is absolute fitness, not just who has the most sponsors. The last five minutes were great - I was just cruising. I even had time to change into my St Helens College T-shirt for the finishing line photo!"

Meanwhile, Marc is currently organising a charity triathlon event in Newton-le-Willows in aid of Alder Hey Children's Hospital and the St Helens and Knowsley Hospice.

Funded by the Education and Business Partnership (EBP) with organisational help from St Helens College, St Helens Council, St Helens and Knowsley Health and the Community Health Trust, the event comprises a 300-metre swim, a six-mile bike ride and a two-mile run.

The event is open to employees of the college, council and the NHS, as well as members of all gym and leisure facilities in St Helens. Entrance is £9 for teams and £5 for individual competitors and you can get more information from Marc on St Helens 623229.

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