British Triathlon has announced it will be commencing the Guides for Gold recruitment campaign with the specific aim of identifying potential paratriathlon guides who can support the UK Sport Lottery-Funded World Class Performance Programme to Tokyo 2020 and beyond.
The assessment will take place over two days at Loughborough University on 3-4 October, putting selected athletes through their paces and discovering who has what it takes to support some of Britain’s Paralympic heroes to victory in two years’ time. British Triathlon will be looking to fill both training and competition guide roles and applicants may apply to be selected for either role, or both.
The Guides for Gold campaign follows the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) recent announcement that both men’s and women’s visual impairment category (PTVI) will be included in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic programme, alongside a further six classifications.
Paratriathlon made its Paralympic debut in 2016, with Great Britain bringing home four Paralympic medals, two of which went to PTVI paratriathletes Alison Patrick (guide: Hazel Smith) and Melissa Reid (guide: Nicole Walters); who picked up silver and bronze, respectively. Since then, Britain’s Paratriathlon Programme has continued to flourish, most recently seeing both Patrick (guide: Hannah Drewett) and Dave Ellis (guide: Jack Peasgood) each take European Championship titles to continue their 2018 unbeaten streaks.
British Triathlon are looking for experienced male and female triathletes to recruit into guiding roles. Selected athletes will be invited to partake in an intensive two-day process, testing their fitness and capabilities across swim, bike and run disciplines. Successful guides may receive a level of UK Sport Lottery funding along with allowing access to the appropriate support via World Class Performance Programme practitioners and coaches.
Whilst meeting certain performance criteria will be a key indicator of likely success, it’s essential that guides also possess the necessary psychological characteristics of a world-class triathlete.
This is the second Guides for Gold campaign, following its successful introduction ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games which resulted in four athletes recognised for their guiding potential.
Jonathon Riall, British Triathlon Paralympic Head Coach, said: “It’s never been a more exciting time for paratriathlon and we’re now dedicated on creating the best possible environment to allow our athletes to succeed in Tokyo and beyond. Identifying the right paratriathlon guides through Guides for Gold is crucial to this success.
“Whilst we’re searching for high performers, it’s vital that we select the right individuals to add positively to our existing team. We’ll be looking specifically at individuals’ approach to teamwork and leadership, plus their ability to adapt to changing environments.”
Think you have what it takes to Guide for Gold? Completed application and medical screening forms should be sent to paratriathlon@britishtriathlon.org by 9am, 20 September 2018. Please also use this contact for informal enquiries.
