Giving up does not form part of athlete Nicky Farrugia's vocabulary and on Wednesday he will again attempt to break the Enduroman Arch to Arc world record.

Mr Farrugia, 49, had to give up his first attempt last June when his bicycle broke down. Only the day before, he had to be plucked out of the English Channel after he started suffering symptoms of hypothermia.

"It was just one bit of bad luck after the other... It's sad to think that I know I could have made it and had to quit because of the bicycle... But my motto is never give up," he had said.

And, sure enough, despite his age, Mr Farrugia will attempt the challenge again. The feat involves a 140-kilometre run from London's Marble Arch to Dover, a swim across the English Channel to Calais and a bicycle ride to Paris' Arc De Triomphe in what is hailed as the most gruelling of endurance events.

Should he succeed, Mr Farrugia would break Eddie Ette's world record, provided he makes it in under 81 hours and five minutes, which is the time Mr Ette took.