At nine years old, Benji Elias must be one of the youngest people to complete a triathlon.

Earlier this month, Benji swam 165m, ran 2km and cycled 1.2km, raising £1,600 in memory of family friend Lincoln Abraham, who died in the tsunami in 2005. The money is going towards the Lincoln David Abraham Paediatric Educational Institute, a new ward in the Shaare Zedek children's hospital in Jerusalem.

Benji, a pupil at Nancy Reuben Primary School in north London, tells People: "I went to watch my daddy do one and it made me want to do one. It was a lot of fun. The swimming was the best bit. It is one of my favourite sports." He also likes playing football and climbing. Benji, who completed the triathlon in 27 minutes, says: "I like triathlons and I might do one in Israel with my dad one day."

He lives in Hendon with his parents and three brothers.