A Newcastle teacher is bidding to defend his British para-triathlon title in Sunderland this weekend when the city hosts one of the biggest events in the race calendar.
The geography teacher who has been training along Roker seafront in preparation for the British Triathlon Super Series Grand Final, which is being staged there for the first time this weekend. Mike, who was born with a congenital shortening of the left arm and is ranked 2nd in the UK and 19th in the world, in triathlon's PTS5 classification won gold at last year's Grand Final, held at Mallory Park, Leicestershire, in September.
Mike entered his first British para-triathlon in September 2020 and has represented Great Britain on the world paratriathlon circuit for almost two years. In November 2021, Michael landed fifth place on his world cup debut in Alhandra in Portugal, completing a 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run over the course of the day.
Read more: Newcastle teacher wins British Paratriathlon Championship title for second year in a row
In July, he celebrated gold medal success at the British Paratriathlon Championship at Eton Dorney in Buckinghamshire. He also represented Great Britain at the World Triathlon Para Series in Swansea earlier this month, where he finished 9th, with the second fastest run time in his category.
The athlete, who lives in Newcastle, said: " This is a big event for me, not least because I’m defending my British title, but because I can do so in my home region with a local crowd cheering me on. I’d love to see some familiar faces at the event, and I would encourage people to come along and enjoy a really spectacular weekend of sport, involving some of the finest athletes in the UK."
This weekend's Grand Final, at the end of the triathlon season, will bring together top UK athletes from the youth and junior, senior and Paratri British Triathlon Super Series to compete along the seafront of Sunderland. Mike, the assistant head of sixth form at Dame Allan's in Fenham, is due to compete on Saturday morning and said that his involvement in the sport has helped inspire pupils at the school.
" Being a para-athlete and competing at an elite level is an incredible experience that presents so many opportunities to travel to interesting places around the world and meet other athletes that are at the top of their game. I love sharing those experiences with pupils and encouraging them to participate in sport, both at school and in later life, because it can be so rewarding and enjoyable."
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