BKL’s Andrew Diplock has proudly qualified to represent Great Britain at the World AG Championships which are being held in Cozumel, Mexico this September. Andrew qualified for the championships on 8 May in his first triathlon of the season. Knowing that qualification was a realistic goal, he said that he put everything he had into the race and left it “all on the finishing line” to ensure his success.
This remarkable achievement is made even more impressive by the fact that Andrew didn’t start competing in triathlons until just over a year ago. He was encouraged to start competing shortly after he joined the Cambridge Triathlon Club, where fellow members saw his potential. He only realised in late 2015 that representing Team GB AG was an aim he could achieve.
Andrew has recently been preparing for the championships by completing the Long Course Weekend, one of Wales’ biggest triathlon events. He has also been keeping up a rigorous weekly training programme which sees him swim three times, run at least 60 kilometres and cycle for 7-10 hours.
Between training, competing and being a committed member of the BKL team, Andrew has little time for anything else. Fortunately, close relationships with his fellow athletes bring plenty of encouragement. “The camaraderie is one of my favourite aspects of being a triathlete,” Andrew says. “Training with your friends makes it a lot more fun.”
Less appealing for Andrew are the freezing temperatures he encounters all too often when training in Cambridgeshire. He realises that Mexico’s conditions will be a different challenge altogether and has plans to complete some climate training to prepare for this.
But whatever challenges Andrew faces in the championships, at least he’ll be dressed for the occasion. Leading triathlon brand Zone3, in conjunction with the Triathlon Centre @ Advance Performance, are sponsoring Andrew as their Local Hero for 2016. As well as providing him with specialist sportswear, Zone3 are tracking his progress online through a series of articles which you can read here. BKL will be sponsoring and supporting Andrew throughout his Team GB AG endeavours.