AN Ayrshire accountant is raising funds for local charity Whiteleys Retreat.

Alex McLaren, group accountant at Dundonald Ross, has qualified for the Spar tan Tr ifecta World Championships 2018.

Alex will travel to Sparta Greece in November along with fellow athletes and complete three gruelling endurance races within a 24-hour period.

Donations have beencoming in for Alex’s chosen charity, Whiteleys Retreat, the holiday home outside Ayr which offers breaks to sick children and their families.

He said: “It is an absolutely fantastic charity and its local which is great. It is good to raise money for a local cause.”

With a strict training regime, the accountant is putting in both time and effort to get himself fit in time for the event. Alex will be competing against 30 othercountries during the race in November and has admitted he is both nervous and excited.

He said: “At the moment I am probably training around 25 hours per week.

“I always get nervous for Spartan races as they are so unpredictable. I think this is going to offer up a few new challenges due to the terrain.

I’m excited and nervous at the same time but it is a great experience.”