Home Nation Membership

Are you covered?

Insurance is just one of many Home Nation Membership benefits, but means you can train and race with confidence all year round!

From Rugby to Triathlon

Published:

We'd like you to meet Sean Bryan who's dived into triathlon after many years playing rugby.

Name: Sean Bryan

What’s your involvement in triathlon? 
Participant in all distances up to 70.3.

Favourite Discipline, Swim, Bike or Run? 
Bike is my favourite discipline which is closely followed by swimming. If you had told me several years ago that I would enjoy swimming I would never have believed you. I enjoy cycling for the freedom it gives you to find new places. I enjoy swimming for the time it gives me alone with my own thoughts.

Why did you want to do triathlon? 
I had stopped playing rugby and needed a new challenge. Several of my friends had done triathlons but I was a not great swimmer. I wanted to improve my swimming so that I could do more with the kids on holiday. Previously that was my wife's job and I wanted to be more involved. It would also put an end to my mates laughing at my swimming abilities especially now that I can swim further than all of them.

How did your journey into triathlon start? 
I somehow convinced my wife to do one with me and we did a super sprint at the London ITU race back in May 2015. My wife convinced one of her friends to do it too, who subsequently beat me on a shopping bike by a minute. I have been training ever since for that rematch. After reading that there were black Navy Seals I felt that I could definitely overcome the whole swimming thing with a bit of training. It took a few months on my own in the pool and watching lots of videos followed by a few lessons to get me ready for my first triathlon.

"If you had told me several years ago that I would enjoy swimming I would never have believed you."

What motivated you? 
Wanting a new challenge that meant that I could walk to work without a limp on Monday mornings after playing rugby at the weekend. As I was getting older my rugby injuries were hurting more and more, therefore rugby became a sport I watched rather than play. 

What is your best moment in triathlon? 
Carrying my kids over the line with me when I completed my final triathlon as a weekend warrior at the 2017 AJ Bell London Triathlon event. The aim of this event is to do as many triathlons as possible over the event weekend. 

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of giving triathlon a go? 
Just have a go. For most people their main achievement is to cross the finish line not to race just like mine everyone is very supportive of each other and it is the last person to cross the finish line who gets the biggest cheer. 

 

If you've got a story to tell please get in touch with Jon Train email jontrain@britishtriathlon.org

Thanks to our Partners

Join Us

And enjoy insurance benefits, race licensing and more...