A TOUGH guy from Worcester has gone from sick man to ironman as he prepares to take on a gruelling charity triathlon challenge after beating leukaemia.

Matt Collins of St John’s, Worcester has been inspired to raise money for research following the death of four-year-old Grace Kelly of Crowle who battled an aggressive form of renal cancer.

Mr Collins has himself fought cancer having been diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of leukaemia, in 2009 at just 30 years of age but he insists it is the memory of Grace which is his main motivation.

He endured six sessions of chemotherapy at Worcestershire Royal Hospital which caused him to lose all his hair.

Following a lumbar puncture he was so sick he felt he had the worst hangover of his life for nine solid days and could not get out of bed.

Mr Collins could scarcely have imagined that just seven years after he was diagnosed he would be joining 2,000 other racers at Vichy, France on Sunday, August 28.

The gruelling challenge involves swimming 2.4 miles before cycling 112 miles and finishing off with a full 26.2 marathon, all in support of the Grace Kelly Ladybird Fund, a charity set up in memory of a girl who passed away aged four from a rare form of cancer.

His cousin, Katie Griffiths who is close to Grace's mother, has also inspired him to support the charity.

Mr Collins said: "Little Grace was only four when she passed away just over a year ago.

"It came at such a shock. She went into hospital with a poorly tummy and only weeks later she died in her mummy's arms.

"This is my motivation, to help Grace's mummy raise money to help with the research into the very rare cancer she died from."

The 37-year-old expects it will take him at least 14 hours to complete the epic challenge and he hopes to raise at least £1,000, more if he can, spurred on by Team GB's medal haul in the Rio Olympics.

The former Christopher Whitehead pupil, said: “Some people look at me and think I’m a bit crazy for doing something so extreme but, at the same time, they are giving me a lot of support and cheering me on.”

Mr Collins was in remission for five years before he was given the all clear in 2014 which came as a massive relief to family and friends.

He has been training for 12 months now, receiving strong support from the club runners at the N1 Tri Club.

During his illness his weight dropped to 10 stone before it rose to 16 as he recovered. With good training and a better diet he has dropped down to 13 stone 10lbs.

The self-employed carpenter at Collins Partners said: “I’m really excited. I would have liked to have had more training than I have. It's fairly daunting.

“Even when I was diagnosed I was more concerned about how I was going to pay my mortgage while being off work. All my family and friends were way more worried than I ever was.

“I was thinking about the logistics of it. I knew from the start I was going to win this fight. I said ‘I’m not going. This is not my time’.

"The hardest thing was telling my folks. It was a horrible shock. The diagnosis came just after Christmas.”

To sponsor him visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MatthewCollins9