1st 15kg Weighted Vest Ironman Challenge

I became the first person to achieve an Ironman with a 15kg weighted vest. The record attempt was completed on World Suicide Prevention Day on Sunday the 10th of September 2023. It took Isaac 29 hours of continuous endurance!

 

CHARITY DONATIONS - MIND MENTAL HEALTH

FILM - WEIGHED DOWN

 

Partners for the Event

Press and Media

Press and media partners for the event

Film - “WEIGHED DOWN”

This titanic endurance challenge took place on the 9th-10th of September 2023, during World Suicide Prevention Day. It was filmed by good friend Daniel Williams. The film documented the highs, the lows and the incredible landscapes Isaac traversed within some of the best nature spots and countryside England has to offer, “Exmoor National Park”. Throughout the adventure, Isaac shares an experience of living in Western culture where mental health is still seen as a sign of weakness and something to be ashamed of, especially among men. This story shares why men should speak out about their mental health issues to remove the weight from their lives. The weighted vest represents the weight of poor mental health.

Facts about the IRONMAN

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run completed in that order, a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km). Isaac also covered a total elevation gain of over 4000 meters!

Raising Funds and awareness for Mental Health

The Route

View Isaac's routes on Komoot!

How Isaac made his IRONMAN attempt even more difficult?

  • Isaac’s cycling and running sections were mainly offroad and covered highered elevations overall than most IRONMANs.

  • Isaac was completely unsupported without organised feed stops.

  • Isaac wore 15kg of weight throughout the course including the swim!

Press and Media Attention

Why is Mental Health the Cause?

From Isaac "I have anxiety and in my western culture, it is seen still as a sign of weakness and something to be ashamed of. We are also seen as people who aren’t able to make decisions and are stigmatised. I was like most people who believed anxiety is not a real medical illness and that people with anxiety could snap out of it if they wanted to. Due to this, I didn’t look for support for fear of being seen as weak and my condition developed I would think that many macho men still see mental health struggles as a personal issue and a lack of personal fortitude.

Because of that, and the stigma that still exists surrounding mental illness (not to mention, the pressure on men to always be strong), a lot of men struggle with admitting they may need help. This toxic masculinity often reduces the chances of men embracing healthy coping resources, they may turn to alcohol and other drugs as a way to numb the pain.

No one is immune to stress. Talking with others about how it is affecting you can foster empathy, camaraderie, and support and we need people to realize that these are medical problems, that there are good treatments available, and that there is hope involved.

Sometimes reducing stigma means being willing to talk about the times we’ve needed to ask for help ourselves."

I have suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for much of my adult life and the mental health charity Mind In Mid Herts (MiMH) has always been there for me. I am also a trustee of MiMH too.

 

How Corporate Partnerships Work with Isaac

As part of a corporate partnership with Isaac, there are many ways you can get involved and support this event.  Whether you’re a large corporate or an SME or a sole trader we have a variety of partnership packages for you. However, we are always keen to discuss new suggestions and opportunities and will work with you to design a package that suits your organisation’s corporate social responsibility programme and engage your employees. Examples of support Isaac has received in the past:

  • Donate a financial sum to support the costs of the filmmaking process and event logistics

  • Gift-in-kind - donate a piece of equipment, provide accommodation, or provide a service that can support the event and bring more impact!

  • Match fundraise the total raised in charitable donations after the event has concluded.

  • Host a fundraising event within your company focussed on mental health awareness and sports/outdoors to raise funds for this project

  • Donate a % of sales commission from a product towards this event