Triathlon: K.I.D.S. Road to Ironman Australia - DAY THREE - Sale, Lakes Entrance, Orbost, Marlo, Merimbula...

TODAY is day three of the March 28 to April 2, K.I.D.S. Road to Ironman Australia charity event which will see a team of more than 30 people head through Sale all the way to Merimbula. Within that K.I.D.S. Road to Ironman Australia team is triathlete extraordinaire, Andrew Stanfield, who is certainly attention grabbing.

Yesterday Andrew began his world first attempt at completing a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run each day for five days in a row. He did this in a heated community pool in Warrugul before saddling the bike in sunny conditions that turned into driving winds and rain for his run in Sale. But, like a trooper, Andrew powered on to keep his dream alive. He was spurred on by some of the team's elite athletes in the pool, on the bike and while pounding the pavement to keep him focussed.

"As far as we know no one has ever done Ironman's on consecutive days and I am sure the body will hold up,'' he said.

"What the mind can conceive the body can achieve.''

The six-day 1,360km road trip between Ballarat to Forster, NSW, includes a team of 33 elite athletes, celebrities and support crew in a fleet of seven Mitsubishi vehicles to assist Andrew on his journey - which is all to raise money for the K.I.D.S. Foundation.

So today is a new day that will see Andrew travel between Sale to Merimbula with the crew. He will begin his day at the Sale Swimming Pool at 6am for a swim, then ride from Sale at about 7am through Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Orbost and Marlo. Andrew will then run from Marlo to Cape Conran, Yerrung River and Cabbage Tree Creek before ending his second 266km triathlon days in Merimbula.

The event structure to raise money and the profile of the K.I.D.S. Foundation includes a 3.8km Orica Community Swim for schools, businesses and sporting groups with past Olympic swimmer, Janelle Elford, a 180km bike ride by a team of elite cyclists and a 42km run to be completed by four K.I.D.S team athletes, who will run 10.5km each. A swim will also be held today at the Lakes Entrance Leisure Complex between 12.30-2pm. An Asics Community Fun Run will take place at 5pm in Merimbula at Berrambool Park tonight. The fun run will be followed by a Survivors Sports Night at the Merimbula Bowling Club from 7pm with a panel of speakers from the K.I.D.S. Road to Ironman Crew.

In what has been a six-month training schedule for Andrew, he has estimated he will be burning up to 10,000 calories a day. Along the way, Andrew is being fuelled by Snickers Marathon Bars and the courage shown from burn survivors that inspired the whole event. Burn survivor Chris Doulis is travelling with the crew, along with Olympic swimmer Janelle Elford, past Hawaiian Ironman champion Greg Stewart, and Big Brother II housemate, Brodie Young.

Andrew put the idea to K.I.D.S. Foundation's CEO, Susie O'Neill, and the charity event now hopes to raise $100,000 to top last years inaugural event total of $60,000.

K.I.D.S. Foundation is an Australian charity which provides facilities and programs for children involved in accidents. It incorporates the Burn Survivors Network and the establishment of rehabilitation centres for accident victims. It is also the official charity of the Snap Printing Ironman Australia Triathlon in Forster.

And if all that's not enough to digest, after Andrew clocks up the body and mind taxing distances over the five days, he will then have a rest day on Saturday before competing in the April 4, 226km Snap Ironman Australia Triathlon in Forster to attempt six Ironman's over seven days.