A South Oxhey man is training for one of the toughest triathlon challenges in the world to become an Iron Man - and he only learned how to ride a bike last year.

Adam Newell, of Crowborough Path, will take on the epic challenge in Tenby, in South Wales, later this month.

The Iron Man Wales challenge will be his final event in a series of fundraising activities for the Alzheimer’s Society.

It will see competitors swimming two and a half miles in sea water, cycling for 112 miles and completing a marathon.

The 24-year-old engineer, who has been embarking on a number of challenges since February, said he is doing the race for his grandfather, Nasser Misri, who is in his 80s and suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Mr Newell said: "I wanted to do a challenge that would make people think and would stand out in their minds.

"I always thought that it was important to do something that would push me and this is the hardest triathlon in the world."

Mr Newell said his strongest two areas will be swimming and the marathon as he spent much of his youth at St James Altham Pool and playing football for Oxhey Jets.

However, the cycling part of the course could be the most challenging for him as he only learned how to ride a bike last year.

He said: "My Dad tried to teach me when I was six or seven but I didn’t stick with it because I never really needed to learn. So I had to learn how to ride one last year."

Mr Newell used to be a pupil at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, in South Oxhey, and St Joan of Arc Catholic School, in Rickmansworth.

This fundraising task will be the eighth that he has embarked on this year and he began his series of challenges with the Watford Half Marathon in February. 

He said: "The Watford Half Marathon was a bit of a challenge as part of the course was flooded, so it was probably good practice for this one.

"This will be the toughest by far but I’m feeling confident and I’ve had a lot of support from my friends and family."

Mr Newell plans to take on more challenges, but will be taking a break from it next year as he plans to marry his 24-year-old fiancée, Lydia Beech.

Iron Man Wales will take place on Sunday, September 14.