Coming out of lockdown as national PTVI champion, Oscar Kelly found international paratriathlon success, becoming a World Triathlon Para Series and World Triathlon Cup medallist in 2022.

That same year, Kelly represented Team England on home soil at the Commonwealth Games, and, after a year of highs and lows, Kelly now looks forward to the upcoming season, starting with Arena Games Triathlon London powered by Zwift on 8 April.

Last year, Kelly claimed his first-ever World Triathlon Para Series medal in Montreal, securing silver alongside his guide Charlie Harding.

“Montreal was a big one,” Kelly said. “Getting the medal was probably the least important part of the whole thing. Both me and Charlie were adamant that we needed to get a big race out the way. More than anything else, it was a confidence boost going into the season and into Commies, which was then sharply taken away from us.”

That same month, the pair represented England in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but the race didn’t quite go to plan. “The swim went really well,” Kelly reflected. “We hopped on the bike and two kilometres down the road, we got a flat puncture. Not anything we could have done about it, there was about a centimetre gash in the tyre. We’d gone all the way down to eighth from second.

“We managed to get a spare on and get going again. Then, we picked up another puncture. The plan definitely just went out the window. Our legs were full of lactate, I got out of transition and had immediate cramp in both my legs. It’s definitely the hardest I’ve ever worked in a race, I’ve never got to a finish line and had less than nothing left to give.”

Only a week after disappointment in Birmingham, Kelly took to the waterfront of Swansea at the World Triathlon Para Series event. Reflecting on his Commonwealth performance, Kelly said: “It was a massive learning experience. We’d gone into the race quite confident, thinking we’d be able to get a podium quite easily. To a degree, I’m thankful that it didn’t go to plan, I just wish it was any other race. I raced in Swansea the following week. We put in a shift and did quite well there, so that pushed our confidence back up.” 

When asked about his relationship with guide Charlie Harding and how they came to race and train together in 2021, Kelly smiled: “I sent a message to Charlie. As he likes to say, I slid into his DMs.”  

“One thing that works great with Charlie that I’ve never had with another guide, is that we think quite alike. That tends to help and it doesn’t happen with everyone. We’re just lucky that between the two of us, how we react in race situations is the exact same. That really helps when trying to synch up.”

Asked what techniques the two use to communicate during a race, Kelly shared how they play on his strengths: “Relative to most visually impaired athletes, I’ve got quite a lot of eyesight. So, we tend to plan quite a lot around the bike section. We’re pretty good at taking corners better than most people. Swim’s probably the hardest. That’s a combination of tapping and yelling usually,” Kelly laughed.

“When we get onto the run. If there’s something that he knows is just out of eyesight, he’ll let me know. When I start getting a bit tired, he’ll point out things. At the end of the day, it’s a joint partnership. It’s both of our races.”

Both Kelly and Harding have been selected for the World Class Programme for the first time, which will provide the pair with support and resources to help them reach their goals. “It’s over another hurdle, you’re in the system a bit more,” Kelly said. “You’ve got world class support, and a world class team. With top-notch support from physio, S&C [strength and conditioning], performance, lifestyle, psychology, all as part of one team.”

Previewing the 2023 season with renewed confidence, Kelly’s intentionally vague about his aspirations, hinting to a big season of racing ahead. “This season, I’m hoping for some good results,” Kelly said. “I put in some good work this winter and I’ve changed some stuff up, which I’m hoping will pay off. It’s very much about trying to get that qualification for Paris [Paralympics] and getting some more results across the board.

“That all starts off with Arena Games [London]. It’s a good opportunity to show the public what paratriathlon’s got. At the end of the day, we’re trying to show that we’re not that far off able-bodied elite athletes and we’re trying to push the boundaries of what we’re able to do. We don’t race for pity, we race for performance, and it's a great chance to have a live audience there who wouldn’t necessarily always see paratriathlon.”

Arena Games Triathlon Finals London powered by Zwift is being held on Saturday 8 April and includes the return of paratriathlon to the event programme. Racing starts at 2:45pm (BST) with the first paratriathlon wave.

Interested in getting involved with paratriathlon? Visit https://www.britishtriathlon.org/get-involved/paratriathlon.