A DAD battling an incurable cancer has been given a boost by his daughter, who has completed her first triathlon.

Steve Phillips, 49, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma - a form of blood cancer - two days before his daughter, Bella, was born.

Bella, now eight years old, recently completed a triathlon challenge made up of a 100m swim, a two kilometre bike ride and a one kilometre run.

She raised a grand total of around £455 for Cancer Research UK in the process of taking on the gruelling event.

Steve, who lives in Chickerell with his wife and two children, said that it was “fabulous” to see his family get behind him.

He added: “Bella decided she wanted to raise money and she wanted to do it for daddy’s cancer.

“I am very proud of her, not just for raising the money for the cancer, but for the personal challenge.

“I would not have wanted to do what she did.”

She took part in the event as part of winning her ‘personal challenge’ badge for the Weymouth West Cub Scouts group.

Bella said: “The water was the hardest because it was cold and you could hardly swim in it.”

Steve is now in remission after his latest round of treatment and is awaiting a stem cell transplant.

He added: “It is a shock, especially when you are given the diagnosis of three to five years to live, but you learn to live with it.

“It is psychological more than anything.

“If you can get your head around it, you can live a normal life.”

The family previously raised £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support with an auction of promises.

Steve said that, although they do not have any more fundraisers planned, there is “no doubt” that Bella will soon take on other challenges to raise money.