Martin Bennett may have Parkinson's disease but he is not letting that stop him taking on an iconic Tauranga sporting event.
Bennett, 58, will contest the sprint distance triathlon at the Classic Builders Tinman Triathlon to be held at Mount Maunganui on November 19.
He is doing it to raise funds and awareness of the disease, a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that has no known cure.
Bennett is based in Putaruru but has a strong family history in the Western Bay. He attended Greenpark School, Tauranga Intermediate and had a year at Tauranga Boys' College before moving to the Waikato. His great, grandfather George Vesey Stewart was the founder of both the Katikati and Te Puke settlements and was elected the first Mayor of Tauranga in 1882.
"The message that we wish to get across, is for people to be active and positive about their situation. So many people that have been challenged for many years with all kinds of illnesses are very courageous. I am at the front end of this challenge," Bennett said.