A year on from the passing of Jonathan Betts, loved ones of the lawyer and athlete banded together for a gruelling challenge to follow in the footsteps of a man who personified fitness and a love of life.

Mr Betts, widely known as Jonnie, was the head of the corporate, finance, funds and insurance group at Walkers Bermuda.

He ran the London Marathon several times as well as taking on countless triathlons and half-Ironman events for charity.

Mr Betts, who was the co-chairman on the board of the asthma and lung charity Open Airways, died last year from colon cancer, aged 52.

He channelled his love of cycling, running and sports into fundraising.

Sharon Hammond, the medical director at the cancer charity Pals, who cared for her friend during his illness, told The Royal Gazette how the children, widow, parents and friends of Mr Betts joined forces for the half-Ironman long-distance triathlon races in the seaside town of Cervia in Italy.

“It all came about because of Jonnie,” said Mrs Hammond, who befriended him after joining Mr Betts on a half-Ironman in Miami, where their respective families came to cheer them on.

“He was a very much loved person in all aspects of Bermuda life — a very good lawyer and a lovely man who is sorely missed.”

The feat of endurance, consisting of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run at the end, is not for the faint of heart.

Mr Betts, who threw himself into triathlons with his wife, Frances, planned to celebrate his 50th birthday with an Ironman in Italy, where his parents Alan and Margaret have spent the past two decades making friends.

However, Mrs Hammond said the Covid-19 pandemic prevented the race from going ahead and Mr Betts had cancer diagnosed six months later.

“Frances has been very good about talking about Jonnie and keeping him in our lives.

“Earlier this year, she asked what we thought about doing the half-Ironman.”

A group of friends had become regulars at the Miami Man Triathlon, while others were less athletically inclined.

Mrs Hammond’s husband, Richard, had promised Mr Betts that if he ever took on a half-Ironman, he would do it with him.

“We didn’t have to think very long before saying yes,” Mrs Hammond said. “In our group of friends and Jonnie’s friends were a lot of active people, and not so active people.”

The idea gained momentum, with 20 friends from Bermuda taking part at various levels and ten coming along as the support group for the big day of September 22.

Mrs Betts took part with their son Angus, 23 and daughter Connie, 20, while their daughter Flora, 17, joined Mr Betts’s parents in cheering them on.

Five members of the group took on the half-Ironman: Mrs Hammond and her husband with Mrs Betts, and Alec and Becky Shepherd, friends of Mr Betts from law school, who now live on the island.

The team based their uniform on a tattoo that Connie Betts got on her wrist in memory of her father: a letter J joined to a heart symbol.

Mrs Hammond said the big day, celebrated with them by the event organisers, was followed by two days with Mr Betts’s parents, who showed them around places in the region that they had come to love over the past 20 years.

She added: “It was very sad but it brought him alive for us, and we celebrated him — it was a wonderful day. Frances and the kids have had a really tough year.

“We have all agreed that we need to do something like this again.”

Mrs Hammond said there were plans for the crew to unite again as a fundraiser for charity, but that their big day in Italy had been to celebrate their friend.

“We were there to acknowledge that he has been gone for a year and to celebrate the strength that he gave to all of us.”

She added: “We all felt it was fitting to celebrate Jonnie by doing something active and hard, because that is essentially who he was — an active person who was not afraid to work hard.”

Mrs Hammond said one of the team members had suggested using their camaraderie as a platform to support Pals and the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.

“I think something good will come of it,” she said.