Long distance swimmer Andy Truscott and ultra-marathon runner Paul Burrows are running 11 miles from Jersey Hospice Care’s Arch in People’s Park to St Catherine, swimming across to France and then pedaling their way to the finish line at L’Arc De Triomphe in Paris.

They’ve christened their challenge Arch to Arc and hope to finish the mammoth triathlon within half an hour of each other and raise as much money as possible for Jersey Hospice Care.

Andy said: “The plan is for the event to take part in the week of 2 to 6 August, which is our window for the swim. We are at the mercy of the elements a little, but all being well, we will get away that week and complete the rest of the challenge.

“My father passed away with leukaemia and during his battle he was up at Hospice. I have seen first- hand how well equipped it is and the first class treatment they receive. It does come at a cost, so I thought, if I can give a little back, then it all helps.”

The race will be a big challenge for Paul who is an experienced runner and cyclist but not so confident in the water.

Paul said: “I have done a few big challenges for Jersey Hospice Care – notably the Marathon Des Sables in 2013 and I ran around the island seven times in seven days in 2014.

“The thought of the swim is something that is very scary. I have been training to try and get to a decent standard to be able to complete the challenge. Until I get in the water to swim to France though, I won’t truly know if I have done enough.”

You can see how they both get on with their big swim as Andy has saved a seat in his support boat for someone who helps them kick off their fundraising.

He’s asking everyone to donate in multiples of five and will pull the name of one Islander out of a hat on 21 July who will head off to France with them.

Andy is also asking Islanders to pick a distance they’ll be covering from 0 to 250 miles and donate £5. When he’s made it past that distance he plans to give the donor a special mention on the Arch to Arc Facebook page.

Jersey Hospice Care Chairman Stewart Rowney said: “When we first heard of the challenge, we couldn’t believe what they were attempting. We are delighted that they have chosen to do something so unusual to raise money for Jersey Hospice Care.

“We rely on the generosity of islanders to help us reach our daily running costs of £14,000, which is spent to improve the lives of people with a life limiting condition and their families. We are incredibly grateful for their support and for the tremendous efforts of Andy and Paul. We wish them well with their adventure!”

You can donate to Andy’s fundraising ideas here.