THIRTEEN injured and sick servicemen and women took part in the Tadcaster Triathlon today for Help for Heroes and the Endeavour Fund.

The teams took on the 400m swim followed by a 14km cycle and 7km on the roads and paths around Tadcaster today, in support of the two organisations, while a team of young swimmers from Tadcaster leant their support.

Among them was Tadcaster man David Wiseman, who was shot in the chest while serving in Afghanistan and last year captained Britain’s Invictus Games team.

He was in a team with fellow Yorkshire regiment veteran Ibi Ali, from Selby, who lost his arm in Iraq and has since then walked to the South Pole with Prince Harry, and taken on seven marathons on seven continents in seven weeks.

David took on the 400m swim, finishing in five minutes, followed by Anna Boggi cycling and Ibi Ali completing the 7km run. Together the three finished the course in one hour and 13 minutes.

David said: “It went really well, and all 13 people from the Endeavour Fund and Help for Heroes set off in the first wave, which was really great of the organisers.”

The Endeavour Fund works to support the ambitions wounded and sick servicemen and women through sport, he said, and what had started as a small idea for one team to take part in the Tadcaster event grew and grew until athletes were coming from all over the country.

“It’s not about only top end competitive sport, just getting people active and part of a team again,” David added.

David also helps to coach the Tadcaster Stingrays swimming team for disabled children and young people, and on Monday the Stingrays were out in force to cheer him on.

“They all came down to support me, which meant a huge amount for me personally.

“The team taking part met the Stingrays - so they could see other guys with disabilities taking part in sport alongside able bodied competitors,” he added.

“In future I think we’re looking at the boundaries between adaptive sport and able bodied sport being blurred.”

Monday’s triathlon was the end of a “fantastic weekend of sport” for the town, he added.

“When you think about where Tadcaster was 18 months ago and where it is now, it’s a fantastic show of Yorkshire grit.”