Having discovered triathlon in his sixties, Phil Barlow, 70, has his eyes set ahead on making his debut for the Great Britain Age-Group Team in the 70-74 category.
“I have always done a bit of running and recreational cycling to keep fit, but never at a competitive level,” Barlow said. “I usually had an event to aim for otherwise I just wouldn’t do it because my personality is such that I need something to aim for.
“In my mid-sixties, I am now three-score years and ten, I found I was getting increasingly achy after running and, looking to the future, I decided I needed to learn to swim as a means of keeping fit.”
Barlow set about his challenge by taking lessons but found progress slow going. As someone who works best under pressure, he took a leaf out of his sons’ book and entered a triathlon to focus his swimming.
“Both my sons are triathletes, and I knew my eldest son was going to enter the Chirk Sprint Triathlon,” he said. “I didn’t expect at that time to necessarily enjoy the whole triathlon experience, it was really just the swimming I was interested in doing in a friendly, competitive environment.
“To my surprise and despite my poor time, I found I loved the whole event. I hadn’t thought of doing more, my sole aim for the day was to swim 400m because that was a challenge for me.”
Having completed his challenge and at the same time his first triathlon, at 66 Barlow was hooked by the mental and physical challenge that bringing swim, bike and run together provides, as well as the pizza and atmosphere of the experience.
“I realised then that I would need to learn to do open water swimming,” he commented. “I took that up with the aim of learning to do it and to be able to take part in what I would call ‘proper triathlons’.
“In 2018 I took part in five sprint triathlons. In two of these events I came first in my age group, which set me thinking. I had by now heard of the GB Age-Group Team and, although my swim times were still embarrassing, my bike and run times were not too far off.
“I joined Glasgow Triathlon Club, my local triathlon club, and my goal in 2019 was to qualify for the GB team. I didn’t think my chances were that good, it was just, if you have a goal then, for me, it makes it easier to train and discipline yourself.”
Each year, British Triathlon allocate qualifiers for World Triathlon and Europe Triathlon sprint and standard distance championships for triathlon and duathlon, with British Triathlon Home Nation members also able to submit times to qualify for longer distance and other multisport championships.
Two years ago, Barlow set out on achieving his goal by entering qualifier events for the 2020 Europe Triathlon Sprint Championships in Malmo and World Triathlon Sprint Championships in Edmonton.
The qualifier for Malmo took part at the Monikie Sprint Triathlon, with Barlow competing despite picking up food poisoning the Wednesday before the race.
“My swim was ok for me,” Barlow added. “On the cycle my chain came off and jammed in the frame, losing me some time, and on the run my abdomen was just a big ball of pain after 2k. So I felt I was fortunate to get a roll-down place, but of course I would happily take that.”
Unfortunately for Barlow and the nearly 3,000 members of the Great Britain Age-Group Team, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen the vast majority of triathlons in Britain and abroad postponed and, whilst the delay did mean that the family trips planned alongside the races were cancelled, Barlow is still looking forward to racing in the GB trisuit for the first time.
“I am very much looking forward to meeting the other members of the GB team and racing alongside them.” he commented.
“It’ll be a much lower key affair for me [not going with his family]. I’ll still enjoy it obviously and the whole event sounds great, to meet other members of the team."
To find out more about following in Barlow’s footsteps and qualifying to race in the Great Britain Age-Group Team, click on the button below where you can read about qualifying races and criteria in 2021.
