The family of a Welsh triathlete are appealing for help after he was left with brain and spinal injuries and needing help to breathe while competing in the British Middle Distance Triathlon Championship.
Nathan Ford from Swansea was injured at the event at Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland on Sunday and admitted to a nearby hospital with the life-threatening injuries.
His family are raising money so that they can be close to Nathan until he can be transferred nearer to home in South Wales. His wife Catrin wrote on a fundraising page: “It appears that his brain injury isn’t as severe as initially thought but his spinal injury is worse than we could have ever imagined.
“Currently Nathan is not able to breathe independently and is unable to move. We have set up this page to support myself, Nathans’s wife, and his family, to be close to Nathan in this critical time.
“We are 500 miles from home and hope to stay here until Nathan can be transferred closer to home.”
She added: “We are searching for any extra tools, support and services that can help us to help Nathan. There are resources to help him communicate with us that we feel are vital for his wellbeing at this time.
“Much further down the line we are hoping rehabilitation can provide some quality of life for Nathan.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than £30,000 from nearly 900 donors had been pledged to help Nathan and his family, with much of the money coming from fellow athletes and triathlon clubs.
You can support here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nathan-ford
One of the best long distance triathletes in Wales, Nathan has been a regular on the pages of TRI247 over recent years. First amateur overall at IRONMAN Wales, racing in Hawaii and clocking an exceptional 8:43 at Challenge Roth are just a selection of his racing highlights.
A huge supporter of the sport too, Nathan has used his experience to help athletes of all abilities through his Nathan Ford Triathlon coaching business.
Right now, he needs some help back from the sport at this most difficult time.
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