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The following was submitted by Marla O’Neill:
Winchester native Sean Bannon, a UMass Amherst graduate and first-year medical student in the fall, has just completed what is described as the world’s hardest triathlon, Arch-2-Arc.
The triathlon begins with an 80-mile run from the Marble Arch in London to Dover, followed by swimming the English Channel, then biking 180 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Only 63 have successfully completed it and on July 23, Bannon became the youngest to achieve this great feat.
Bannon began his quest on Monday, July 20 and completed it Thursday, July 23.
“This is the story of an impressive young man and the strength of the human body, mind and spirit, but it is also the tale of dedicated parents, siblings and a few good friends who have supported him on this wild ride,” said O’Neill, who is Bannon’s cousin. “Add in the training and logistics.....planes, trains, automobiles, ferries and bikes, accommodations in multiple countries and cities, tides and weather dictating the Channel swim. We know he crushed it in Lyra and that his story stands on its own merits.”
