One Ironman triathlon might seem tough enough, but Wiltshire man Steve Scammell has already completed 10 of the gruelling challenges.

And if he completes two more in the next two years he'll be jetting off to Hawaii to take part in the event's World Championships at its spiritual home in Kona on the Pacific islands.

Competitors who finish 12 Iron Man events with at least two in consective years can take up a 'legacy place' in the flagship championships.

If he's successful,Steve will race in the World Championships in the year he turns 50, in 2021.

He said: "I train twenty hours a week. I enjoy the challenge, but I am still fearful at the start of every race.

"It is such a huge undertaking it is important to approach it in parts. Its starts with a 2.4 mile open water swim and ends with a 26 mile run. With a 112 mile bike ride thrown in. It is arguably one of the hardest one day endurance events.”

Steve first completed one of the challenges in 2008 and has taken part every year, except 2009 which he missed due to the difficulty of fitting training around his young daughter, Ellie.

He sad, “It was difficult with a young daughter rising early on a weekend morning and leaving her behind to train.”

His efforts have paid off and have inspired Ellie, now 12, to get on her bike and go on rides routes of up to thirty miles at a time.

Steve, who works in Swindon at the Honda plant said, “It is good to show sport participation as an everyday thing to children. It then becomes the norm opposed to the extraordinary. I am not any different from anyone else. I just train hard and maintain a positive approach.”

Steve has had a tattoo inked on his legs after every event, he's completed. Some are the flag of the country where the triathlon was held while others are symbolic of the course. He said:“I started by wanting to commemorate my first Ironman and as the events followed so did the tattoos”

“Competing in Ironman is an expensive business both in time and money. However, the training is great for both mental and physical well being.”

“I started as a runner, built to a marathon runner and started competing after joining a triathlon club. Anyone can compete, it just requires the time to train and a positive attitude when undertaking such a huge challenge.”

The Ironman triathlon began in Hawaii when three local athletes, one a runner, one a cyclist and one a swimmer argued over which discipline was the best.

In 1978 they combined all three disciplines into a race, with the winner of the event being named Ironman.