Ten days, ten triathlons: Lenny's Uncomfortable Challenge has begun

A local teenager is taking on an extraordinary physical challenge as part of Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge, raising money to help Australians experiencing homelessness find a place to call home. Lenny Iyer, 15, is completing an Olympic distance triathlon every day for 10 days. Inspired by Forbes-born Young Australian of the Year Nedd Brockmann, the national challenge encourages people to step outside their comfort zones, push through something difficult and raise funds for a cause. Lenny is certainly doing his part - starting each with a 10km run before completing a 1.5km swim and 40km bike ride after school. It is a significant step up from his previous Uncomfortable Challenges, when he ran 8km a day in the first year and increased that to 10km a day in the second. Inspired by Nedd’s book Showing Up, Lenny was quick to sign up when the challenge first began, and this year he was selected as one of 40 ambassadors for the challenge. An inspirational weekend in Sydney with Nedd, Mobilise and the wider team helped fuel his determination to take on something even bigger. He's intensified his training over the past two months - in the pool as soon as it opened on the October long weekend and focussing on his road riding with the support of the Forbes cycling club. But until Monday, when the challenge began, he actually hadn't had the opportunity to complete the triathlon in a single day - let alone day after day. By Tuesday night, his first two were complete - around school too. Lenny has had strong support from the community and his school, with Red Bend Catholic College signing up for Super Schools Day. He has already surpassed his original fundraising target of $5000 and increased it to $7500, with $6550 raised as he prepared to begin the challenge. At time of preparing for press, he was in the top 10 individual fundraisers for the challenge. Funds raised all go to Mobilise, enabling them to support people experiencing homelessness. Their assistance is now coming home to Forbes to help people in Nedd's home town, with Mobilise working through local partners Havannah House as well as Veritas House and Uniting in the Central West. It's just 10 years since Mobilise first began with a group of young people in 2016. Their mission and work caught the eye of Nedd Brockmann, who ran from Australia's west coast to east coast to raise $1.5 million and bring their work into the headlines. Mobilise has grown into a national charity with a network of more than 50 charity partners and has distributed more than $4.3 million, supporting more than 1600 households. Nedd’s 2026 Uncomfortable Challenge has already raised more than $700,000, with people across Australia taking on their own uncomfortable pursuits to help make a difference. To support Lenny’s fundraising efforts, visit www.neddsuncomfortablechallenge.com/fundraisers/LennyIyer