A FORMER Hampshire man has raised more than £4,000 for Blue Apple Theatre despite being injured in an Ironman competition.

Hugo Leader was injured during the Ironman Triathlon 70.3 in Aix-en-Provence, France, on May 21. The race consisted of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.

While Hugo started the event with a strong lake swim, the weather conditions were challenging for the bike portion of the race. The wet weather resulted in many collisions, with Hugo being knocked off his bike an hour and 10 minutes into the ride.

The collision forced him to withdraw from the race due to an injury to his shoulder which required emergency surgery. Despite the setback, Hugo is currently recovering and intends to resume his passion for cycling as soon as he can.

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Hugo chose to fundraise for Blue Apple Theatre as he saw how much his sister Torsie, who has Down's syndrome, enjoyed participating in Blue Apple Theatre's dance classes. His sister and family travelled to France to support him.

At time of writing, Hugo has raised £4,179 for the charity.

Artistic Director Richard Conlon said: “We are very grateful to Hugo and his team for their incredible fundraising efforts. Their support will make a real difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities.”

The money raised by Hugo will go towards supporting Blue Apple Theatre's work. This includes providing funding for enrichment opportunities and outreach programmes.

For more information about Hugo and his fundraiser, visit: justgiving.com/page/hugo-leader-1683316532829.