Davina battles extreme conditions for Sport Relief

TV presenter Davina McCall bravely battled through hypothermia on day one of her Edinburgh to London triathlon yesterday.

She admitted she was “in tatters” struggling to cycle through 50mph winds, freezing rain and hail just hours after leaving Edinburgh Castle on her seven-day Sport Relief challenge.

In early afternoon the organisers admitted via Twitter: “Davina had to take an unscheduled stop. So cold and battling the winds has made her body tense, muscle fatigue is setting in.” Earlier she had been struggling, complaining of exhaustion and saddle sores on the 500-mile Beyond Breaking Point task.

The 46-year-old presenter of the winter sports show, The Jump, is on the first leg of her mammoth cycle, run and swim.

Problems set in at her first pit stop in Biggar when the freezing mum-of-three said: “I think I‘ve bitten off more than I can chew I want to stop now and I’ve only done 30 miles!

“I just hadn’t mentally prepared for the wind I’m cycling against it so I’m even having to pedal when I’m going downhill!”

And she plans to power her way up the 3,208 feet high Scafell Pike in whatever the weather throws at her. The 5ft 7in, 10 stone star earlier admitted that she been reduced to tears at the prospect of what lies ahead of her.

“When I first started training for this challenge, I cried every day for a fortnight,” she said.

“My body isn’t built for an endurance challenge of this scale and I’m absolutely terrified of open water and I can’t run!”

She was tweeted support by celebrities including John Bishop, Chris Moyles, Dermot O’Leary, and Kirstie Allsopp.

Radio 1 DJ Moyles said: “You go, girlfriend!!”

Tomorrow she plans to attempt an endurance swim in Lake Windermere and pedal 65 miles to Accrington.

From there she will alternate cycling and trekking to Edale in Derbyshire on day four, Birmingham on day five, Windsor on Day six and a marathon in Winsdor before reaching London on day six.