It is not every day that somebody decides they are going to take on the challenge of completing an IronMan and yet this September will see Peter McGahan take part in his second IronMan.

Originally from Birmingham, Peter McGahan is keen to raise funds for Winston’s Wish, the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity. He explains, “The last IronMan I raced in for Winstons Wish, my personal connection to the cause was a huge motivational factor.”

Winston’s Wish, established in 1992, has been providing direct support to grieving children, teenagers and young adults across the UK when their worlds are turned upside down by grief, as well as to the adults around these young people. The charity provides instant bereavement support via on-demand services such as Live Chat, Freephone and the ASK inbox as well as by one-to-one support by referral.

Winston’s Wish also provides a host of advice and content including giving a platform to the voices of young people with lived experience of bereavement via their main website and the popular Grief in Common Podcast as well as via Talk Grief, the Youth-Led Grief Network. Peter explains his own personal connection to the charity’s cause and what motivates him to get involved in such a challenging activity as the IronMan.

He says: “As an early adult, when I was 19, I lost my dad in a car crash and looking back now, I really do wish I had the support that Winston’s Wish provides to children and young people. 

“Its only later on in life I reflected on some of these issues. I think its super important to have this support and help available as it can really shape someone’s perspective in their life.

“The first time I took place in an IronMan for Winston’s Wish was a challenge amongst my two friends. We all chose charities that were close to our heart for personal reasons but after this I for sure got the bug. 

“I remember a moment after finishing my last race that I had to do it again. This wasn’t just from the buzz of finishing but also to help the charity more and more.”

Winston’s Wish relies upon voluntary donations for 90% of its income and is grateful to the army of supports, from individuals to groups who come together to help ensure the support is readily available to grieving children and their families. Peter is keenly into his fitness.

He says: “Physically I need to plan week by week with timings as currently my programme is training up to 12 hours a week, for this I have help from my coach who helps me plan my sessions over the last 40 weeks. 

“But mentally I have to pre plan my social and work life more than ever. But also using Winstons Wish as a motivating factor has been a huge push for me, especially when it’s cold and raining and the last thing you want to do is run!

“I currently work for Adidas and I’m based over in Germany and in all honesty this has been amazing for my prep. We have amazing facilities like a swimming pool, track and state of the art gym. 

“Not only this I work with like-minded people who have similar goals so if that’s running with the track group, or training with people day to day has been amazing. Throughout my prep for the season, I have had amazing support from my team asking how I’m getting on, asking how I’m feeling and giving me the time to be able to train in an unreal environment. 

“I have a really strong team with heavy team work ethic so that has been game changing for this preparation. Not only that but the thought that I can help young people in a bit of a stuck situation really motivates me.

“As I prepare for the IronMan, I am reminded of the children and young people across the UK who have lost someone significant to them. It's a pain that no one should ever have to endure, especially at such a young age. My goal is to raise £5,000 for Winston's Wish before the big race in September.”

If you would like to support Peter in his IronMan endeavour then don’t forget to follow his progress on his Just Giving page. Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or using the live chat at winstonswish.org.