THREE men managed to smash their fundraising target after completing the Weymouth Iron Man challenge to raise money for a charity that supports vets.

Barney Dean, Phil Witte and Tim Trevail, who are all clinicians working at Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, took on the triathlon relay event on Sunday, September 22.

They each completed one section each, with Phil doing the 1.2-mile open water swim, Tim completing a 56-mile bike ride and Barney running for 13.1 miles.

They managed to raise an incredible £630 for VetLife, exceeding their original target of £500. VetLife is a registered charity who confidentially support vets through tough and challenging times. With wellbeing becoming an increasingly important topic in the veterinary industry this was a charity close to the athletes' hearts.

As reported, the Iron Man event experienced far from ideal weather conditions, but the men stayed committed to their goal and powered through.

Barney is no stranger to physical challenges. He completed the Isle of Wight Challenge in 2015 and has also completed a cycle tour across Europe in 2015, the Jungfrau mountain marathon in Switzerland in 2016, and numerous other regular marathons.

He said: “I was really excited to be taking part in the Iron Man 70.3 relay with Phil and Tim. They both trained really hard and I went for regular runs along the promenade at Bournemouth beach, and began increasing my mileage.

“I have always enjoyed taking part in sporting, particularly running, challenges and try to raise money for worthy causes whenever I do so.

"I really fancied a new challenge but couldn’t face the idea of completing an Iron Man triathlon all by myself.

"Phil and Tim both regularly take part in swimming and cycling challenges, respectively, and so I thought the three of us would make a great team for the Iron Man 70.3 relay.”

A VetLife spokesperson said: “A huge thank you to the superstar Vetlife fundraisers from SCVS. Thank you so much for your support.

"Vetlife is an invaluable service which relies on public donations to run. Their work is increasingly important and the demand for their services is ever growing.”

Barney, Phil and Tim said they were extremely grateful for everyone’s support and appreciated the kind, supportive comments on social media from their wonderful customers.