FRIENDS from South East Cornwall have proven that age is no barrier when competing in a triathlon.
Linda Pollard from Callington and Ann Kinehan from Liskeard are both in their 70s and both recently returned from the world Age Group Championships in Malaga, in Spain.
Linda who runs with the Tamar Trotters in Saltash has secured herself a place at the Australia World Triathlon championships in 2025, at age 70. She finished as the third British athlete and 15th in the world qualifying to represent Great Britain in Wollongong, NSW.
This means a return to Australia for Linda and her husband who she says is her support crew and chief cheerleader. The couple travelled Down Under when she retired from nursing in 2019. They will have to cover all the costs of competing including the race entry fee, her GB kit, travelling and accommodation. Linda said: “If you’re lucky you find some one who is prepared you give you some sponsorship.”
Ann Kinehan, a member of East Cornwall Harriers, wasn’t so fortunate and was knocked out through no fault of her own when the sea swell in her swimming race moved the marker buoy increasing her swimming distance by 260 metres. She finished outside the allocated time and wasn’t allowed to continue.
She has since received an apology from the World Triathlon based in Lausanne, Switzerland but that is no excuse for the amount of time training and the cost of getting to the race, Linda adds.
Both Ann and Linda have competed in various triathlons and spend many hours training in all seasons.
Linda said: “We train not only in swimming cycling and running but also in strength and conditioning work to ensure we race to the very best of our ability.”
Competing in the age group category gives everyone the opportunity to compete for their country, Linda explains. It pits the same five year age range against each other starting at 16 years of age up to 85. Her competition is the sprint distance triathlon which consists of a 750 metre swim, a 20 kilometre bike ride and a five kilometre run.
The Callington triathlete took up the sport at the age of 60 after being a fairly average runner for 20 years and looking for a new challenge. At the age of 65, to her amazement, she became British champion in the standard distance triathlon.
She said: “This qualified me to represent GB in the world and European championships in 2020. However, Covid put a stop to any competitions but my race entry was carried forward to 2022 when it took place in Abu Dhabi. Never had I felt so proud as when I put on my GB kit and raced in it for the first time.”