Next February, Greg Sharp, Managing Director of IT solutions and support company base 2 will attempt to swim the length of Lake Taupo to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Sharp (pictured here with trainer Carmel Dixon) says it’s an issue that the IT industry needs to know about. "Our industry is very heavily male dominated and at some stage from 40 onwards there’s going to be more and more of us that need to get tested,” he says. Statistics show that one in 10 New Zealand men will develop prostate cancer.

The swim is a shade over 40km, and Sharp is hoping to break the record of 14 hours 10 minutes, set in 1985 by Philip Rush. The attempt is scheduled for February 18th, when the lake is warm enough. Sharp will be accompanied on the attempt by world champion triathlete Rick Wells, long-distance swimmers John Coutts and Chris Hurdley, and his father-in-law, Commonwealth Games medallist and swimming coach Hilton Brown (each swimming in halfhour relays).

Sharp is undertaking a rigorous training regime of swimming and roadwork in preparation for the attempt. He’s done a few ironman events, including the Coast To Coast, but this is his first go at a marathon swim.

"I was looking at doing Cook Strait, but I’m not quite that comfortable in the ocean because there’s things that eat you,” he jokes.

Anyone wanting to support Greg Sharp’s Taupo swim (proceeds to the Prostate Cancer Foundation) should email megan@base-2.co.nz.