CANCER survivor Austin Latham has completed the first stage of his gruelling charity triathlon.

Mr Latham, who underwent six major operations as he battled the disease, is raising funds for fellow cancer patients in Dorset with a monster three-stage fitness challenge.

The 65-year-old from Weymouth, and his friend Paul Kennedy, have just completed the first leg of their challenge, a 117-mile walk across Dartmoor and Exmoor from the Bristol Channel to the English Channel.

They will follow that up with a 900-mile bike ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End in June and then a 25-mile canoe paddle from Poole to Weymouth in August.

Mr Latham, a former physical education instructor at Portland YOI, is hoping to use the challenge to raise as much money as he can for the oncology unit at Poole Hospital, which treats cancer patients from Dorset.

The coast to coast walk took Mr Kennedy and Mr Latham six days, with the pair averaging around 17 miles a day. Mr Latham said: “It went well, we stayed to schedule and we had good weather all the way, apart from one day when we got absolutely drenched.

“I didn’t mind too much about that though, because we’d carried our wet weather gear all the way and it gave us a chance to use it.”

He added: “We were well prepared. I picked up a sore knee and so did Paul but it was all right apart from that.”

The walking duo started at Lynmouth on the north Devon coast and finished at Wembury on the south coast.

Mr Latham said: “The scenery was fantastic, I’d never been to Exmoor and north Devon before.”

Mr Latham and Mr Kennedy will now be getting into the saddle to train for their John O’Groats to Land’s End bike ride, during which they will be joined by their friend Ron Meatcher.

Mr Latham is keen to hear from anybody who may be able to provide transport for them to get up to Scotland for the start of the cycle. He can be contacted on 01305 776668.