Hospice hero Jade completes London Olympic Distance Triathlon to raise thousands

Jade Kingdom, North Devon’s famous ‘Down Syndrome Triathlete’, has completed another fitness fundraising challenge to help support even more patients and families at North Devon Hospice.

On Sunday, August 6, Jade completed the London Olympic Distance Triathlon, which included a 1500m swim, 40k cycle, and 10k run. Despite this being her toughest test yet, the months of training prior to the challenge paid off and Jade finished the course in just over five hours, raising over £3,500 for North Devon Hospice in the process.

“I found the training really hard this time, but I had an amazing day,” said Jade. “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and cheered me on. I couldn’t have done this without you!”

Over the past five years, Jade has taken on numerous fundraising challenges in support of the hospice. As well as completing three London Triathlons, she has trained for the Swim Serpentine and even raced the Cliff Railway at Lynton and Lynmouth. In 2021, she became the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon, but she didn’t stop there. To date, Jade has raised over £33,000 for North Devon Hospice, which has helped to fund vital care for hundreds of people across the community facing a life-limiting illness like cancer.

“The training has been hard this time around, but Jade has really thrown herself into it,” said Judy, Jade’s mum. “To not only complete the challenge but get a personal best in the cycling is such an achievement for Jade. Our family has always supported the hospice and Jade has wanted to follow in our footsteps and do whatever she can to fundraise for such a worthy cause. With all that she’s achieved, we couldn’t be prouder of her.”

North Devon Hospice provides care for local people who are affected by cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. As well as offering support at home, patients can also be admitted to their Bedded Unit when symptoms become more severe, for help with pain management and to make them feel as comfortable as possible when they need it most.

If you’d like to make a donation to Jade’s London Olympic Distance Triathlon in aid of the hospice, you can do this via her Just Giving page.