Ever wondered what it is like to be a Welsh athlete representing Great Britain on the world stage? Marc shares his story.
Marc’s Goal
Like many athletes involved in multi-sport, there is always an end goal in mind, some may want to complete in their first triathlon but my goal was to qualify for the GB Age Group and to give it my all in the international stage.
In 2018, my goal was to do just that. I aimed for the ITU Gold Coast Sprint Triathlon because I could incorporate it into a holiday. Australia put on amazing sporting events and I got to test myself by the best in the world
Qualifying
It began with qualifying at Cardiff, for those of you who have never tried an ETU or ITU qualifying event, I highly recommend it! The standard is exceptionally high but the format is a fantastic experience. If you are like me and you love draft legal racing, these are the ones to go for.
I managed to put a reasonable race together in Cardiff, not my best but enough to get automatic qualification for the ITU Gold Coast.
Gold Coast
The race venue on the Gold Coast was an experience, with amazing opportunities to mix with the pro athletes at the registration and exhibition. What made it for me was the unity and the friendly nature amongst the GB athletes. On race days, my nerves always kick in, especially when you know you are racing with some of the world’s best. The crowd, which was three deep in some areas, made the event a truly memorable experience.
My event went as well as I had hoped and I finished with 10th overall which was the top European/GB Age Group athlete in the 45-49 age group.
I look forward to hopefully meeting like-minded athletes at future qualifying and ETU/ITU events.
Embrace it
Triathlon is a very individual sport but being a part of GB Age Group is something different. You feel part of a team and as a nation, we are heavily involved at many of the ETU and ITU events, with a great support function in the team managers.
I loved every minute of the race and if you get a chance to represent Wales and GB at any future event, embrace it with open arms as it will be an experience of a lifetime.
