Hi, I’m Brennan Townshend. I’m 22 years old, based in Loughborough, and am training hard this year to qualify for next year’s Ironman World Championships, Kona 2017, in Hawaii.

It might seem like a pipe dream for someone to be aiming so high in just their second season of racing triathlons, but I have been a professional athlete before and more than earned the professional triathlon license I was handed at the end of my first year.

This is my story. . .

Ironman triathlon racing and the mighty Kona was my childhood dream, and the passion and desire to get to the top of the sport began back at school at around the age of 15.

I started running – and winning – the longer distance running events in Athletics and Cross Country, then switched to cycling and won the Junior Tour of Wales, Britain’s most prestigious junior cycling race; all you have to do is Google the past winners to see this.

That catapulted me into a professional cycling career and I raced for high-profile teams Madison Genesis and Team Raleigh GAC.

After five years of competitive cycling, I felt it I was ready to return to begin my Ironman journey and I have been based in Loughborough for the past two years to facilitate that.

I’m among world class athletes here, not just in the triathlon world, and have coaches and facilities within a 5 min walk. This is what it takes to make the step up to racing at the top of the sport – so it had to be done.

My first season was full of success, bringing me wins at Ironman 70.3 UK Wimbleball and Castle Howard 70.3. I also represented Team GB at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Austria.

For the 2016 season I will be stepping up to race in the Professional Triathlete ranks having been granted a Pro licence thanks to my results in 2015. Over the next two seasons I’m working towards qualifying for the Ironman World Championships, Kona 2017, in Hawaii.

The qualification process works on a points system: each competitor has to gain enough points to rank in the top 50 pro triathletes in the world. This means I have to race a large volume of Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races to accumulate the points that come with results.

My campaign starts at Ironman Wales this season, as this is my first race within the qualification dates.  But before Wales I’m going to be racing 70.3’s at events in Fuertaventura, Mallorca, Staffordshire and on Alpe d’Huez in France. I’m then planning a couple of  Ironman races early in 2017, and a handful of extra 70.3s.

Why I’m asking for your help

To race at this level, and to fully commit to the sport, requires training full-time; there isn’t any hours left in the day, or an ounce of energy left to do a part-time job.

I have managed to get by with the support of a number of equipment companies. That has helped a huge amount as I no longer have to pay for, or find, any of the many pieces of kit I need to train and race.

However, I still need to raise funds for coaching, living costs in Loughborough, training camps, race fees, travel, and accommodation.

As you can see, I’ve a few rewards to offer you in return, and I can assure you even a share of this campaign will be appreciated, but the constant worry is that if I don’t raise enough funding I won’t be able to achieve what I believe, and what others believe, I am capable of.

I’ve invested so much time, energy, and my own money into this, I don’t want to fall short and be forced to stop because I can’t afford to race anymore.