Published 21 July 2023

David Balint completes the London Marathon and Ironman Swansea 70.3 to raise funds for the lifesaving Charity.

David Balint, from Rhondda, is no stranger to a fundraising challenge.

Born in Maesteg, the 45-year-old has taken on sky dives and Ironman challenges across Europe to raise funds for charities close to his heart.

For his latest challenge, David took on the London Marathon and Ironman Swansea 70.3, raising over £1,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

This was the first time the father of two had signed up to the London Marathon, and he was fortunate to receive a ballot place.

He said: “I was just sitting one day, and for no reason at all entered the ballot for the marathon. It was certainly a shock to my partner considering I was supposed to retire from all these events last year.” 

The UK’s largest marathon took place in April this year, and David completed the 26.2-mile run in four hours and 10 minutes.

David said: “I wanted to take on the challenge of completing a full stand-alone marathon to see how I would do, as I've only ever run that distance after a long bike ride. It was and amazing day and experience and the crowd were electric which really helped me through.  After mile 14 I was in a world of pain so had to dig deep as I've done in many events.”

Following the success of the marathon, David set his sights on Ironman Swansea 70.3 which comprised of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and a half marathon to finish.

This is only the second time the event has taken place in the city of Swansea, and despite difficult weather conditions, David crossed the finish line in just under six hours, raising funds for the lifesaving Charity.

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £8 million every year to ensure it can carry on its lifesaving work.

Since its inception on March 1, 2001, the Charity has carried out more than 45,000 missions and provides vital 24/7 emergency cover for those who face life-threatening illness or injuries.  

David has seen first-hand the amazing work of the all-Wales Charity.

He said: “I am a hospital porter and firefighter at the Heath Hospital and support the air ambulance when they arrive on scene with their patients, so I have seen first-hand what a fantastic job they do for us. This was a great opportunity for me to give something back to them.”

Tracey Breese, Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser, said: “We are truly grateful to David for taking on these challenges in aid of our Charity. He has done incredibly well in both events and has raised a fantastic amount for us.

“His generosity will enable us to continue serving the people of Wales and saving lives. Good luck with the rest of your training David.”

The events don’t stop there for David as he has already committed to running the Cardiff Half Marathon and Snowdonia Marathon in October.

For updates, or to donate to David’s challenge, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/David-Balint1