Inspired by Team GB’s involvement at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, I am Team GB was a nation-wide festival of sport, with Telford Tri putting on an aquathlon for participants to give multisport a go.
Taking place on Saturday 14 August, distances were tailored for various age groups from age 8 to 19+, helping to make the swim-run event as accessible as possible to entrants regardless of their background in physical activity.
“As a club, we’d been active both virtually through lockdown, and at club sessions as soon as restrictions lifted,” said Chris Wood, coach at the club.
“The opportunity therefore to put on an event both for members and those in the locality off the back on the Tokyo Olympics was an easy one, despite being a short turnaround. This was certainly made easier by the success in triathlon in particular, but additionally by the success of the Team GB more broadly.”
Taking place at Much Wenlock Leisure Centre, the swim took place in the swimming pool with the run taking participants around the track.
“Interest was positive from the outset,” Wood added. “By the day of the event we’d surpassed 40 entries as a mix of first timers to multi-sport, members of the West Midlands talent squad and some GB age-groupers, and a wide range of ages from 8 - 60. It also transpired that people also came from further afield, with an on the day entry coming from 90 minutes away.
“The feedback was all positive and clearly everyone enjoyed being able to partake in an event, as well as the feel-good factor that came from it.
“The involvement of the tri clubs and the generosity of some sponsors to provide post-race goody bags & medals made for a big event feel, as well as numerous enquiries for the when the next one would be.”
I am Team GB is aimed at building on the inspiration that watching the best British athletes compete at the Olympics can bring, with Wood also looking ahead to 2022 when Birmingham hosts the Commonwealth Games as a way of attracting new people into triathlon and multisport.
“It gave us an ideal opportunity to test the facilities, access & route options for future events and as we build into Commonwealth Games year and beyond.”
