Triathletes from Redhill are preparing to see their chosen sport on the Olympic stage by competing in world class championships themselves.

The Redhill Cycling Club extended its reach to include a triathlon club last year and now three of its members have qualified to represent Great Britain at a national competition.

Neil Candler, Simon Baldwin and Dave Willsher will all be competing at the ITU Age Group World Championships in Beijing in September.

To do so, they had to place in the top five of qualifying races held across the country.

Candler and Willsher will also be on the start line representing Great Britain at the European
Championships held in Israel next year.

Candler, who is a 33-year-old with a strong swimming background said: “Triathlon seems to be the next big thing, it is exciting and cool. It’s something everyone can improve in, and you get to practice three different sports, there is more variety.”

The three athletes will all be sporting GBR triathlon suits and admit to planning on framing them once they’ve completed the race in Beijing.

Willsher, 40, who shares the same swimming background said: “It has always been my dream to race for my country, ever since I was little I wanted to compete in Great British colours.”

The honour doesn’t come easily and there are only 20 places available in each male and female age group.

“To compete at this level, the battle is 50-percent mental. You train for nine months of a year to race for three of them, and there are always going to be times you just don’t feel like it, but you just have to just do it,” said Candler.

He is a project manager and currently commutes to London for work, and said: “To fit the hours in, I basically just I get up really early and train in the evening, too, when my son is asleep.”

“It is a struggle, and there really is no such thing as guilt free training. You just have to make the hours you have got count.”

Until last year Redhill and Reigate had no specific triathlon club. Willsher said: “Locally, we’ve got a swimming club, a running club and a cycling club, we didn’t have a triathlon club before and having that now is a real bonus.”

He added: “Last year I just had a plain black tri suit. Racing for a club feels special,
you feel like you belong to something bigger, triathlon is a very solo sport and it adds a team aspect.”

As well as the camaraderie of a club, preparations for the Olympics have provided a spotlight on sport and given the men inspiration.

Candler said: “The Olympics will make provision and breed excitement for sport in general, and it will carry a legacy for children.”

Willsher added: “You can already feel the excitement bubbling and I just hope that it has a genuine impact upon future generations.”

They hoped that the appearance on TV would give triathlon even more or a boost in the public eye.

Candler said: “The Hyde Park course may not be the most challenging for the athletes but it will certainly give people a great view of London and its sights.”

All three have their sights set on the athletes competing. With some promising athletes in the British circuit, they hope to see the country shine.

Under the light of the inaugural torch, however, hidden cracks can show and Baldwin said:
“The Olympics often produces surprise winners where the favourite folds under the pressure.”
Candler added: “You never know who might choke, or what is going to happen. Whatever does happen though, it’s going to be exciting.”



The Age Group championships are held annually and last year, Redhill cycling club member Jill Parker also qualified and scooped the Gold medal in her 30-34 years age group.

She also raced professionally against elite athletes and said: “To race for your country is just so amazing. When racing as an elite though, everything becomes much more serious. I found with age group racing, there was more banter between athletes. To race at an elite that level it really has to be your life, you have to be completely devoted.”

Jill was competing when the Redhill club chose to delve into triathlon and she said: “I joined the club as a cycling club so I could get used to riding in a group. They supported me so much, and improved my cycling. Adrian Webb (chairman) later decided to create the triathlon side, at first I almost was the triathlon club, but Neil and Dave put a lot of work in to make it what it is.”

She now coaches part time and works as a lawyer and said: “I love coaching. At first I thought I might be jealous of my athletes, but I’m not at all – I feel so proud watching them, almost like a mother.”

Going Long

The Redhill athletes will all be competing at Sprint (750m/20k/5k) and Standard distance (1.5k/40k/10k), but these races have a longer, more arduous cousin in ‘Ironman’, or ‘full distance’.

Baldwin, who is 43 and began his adventures into triathlon in 2003 has raced around 50 triathlon events including two Ironman races, consisting of a 2.4mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26mile run.

He said: “I would say I completed rather than competed at that distance. I think the Ironman distance is the pinnacle of Triathlon in difficulty, not only do you have to complete very long training sessions to be ready, it is very mentally challenging before you even start the race, and then physically it takes a lot longer to recover.”

Of the coming games, he said: “I think Olympics is always inspiring particularly to young people, but I would like to see Ironman distance in the Olympics.

“I believe that is where some of the most incredible athletes are in Triathlon such and it would inspire and amaze many people.

“The likes of lady British Triathelete Chrissie Wellington, 3 times Ironman World Champion and World record holder are truly amazing.”

After nearly a decade spent introducing mass participation racing to the developing world, Britain’s strongest marathoner of the 1990s Richard Nerurkar is whipping the Brighton Marathon into shape.

The father of two from Hangleton won the Hamburg Marathon and the IAAF World Cup Marathon in 1993 with a personal best of 2:10:57, as well as competing on the Olympic stage in the 1992 and 1996 Games.

Of his own career Richard said: “It was an honour and a thrill to compete for my country and it was wonderful to travel the world. As a high-level sports person, you get to pursue your passion as a job, but at the same time it is hard work staying at the top.”

When he retired from international competition in 2000 he, his wife, Gail, and four month old Almaz who is now 10, moved to Ethiopia. There he worked with the legend Haile Gebrselassie to introduce mass-participation running competitions to one of the poorest parts of the the developing world.

The endeavour was rewarded with an M.B.E for Services to International Athletics although Richard says that the pleasure of receiving the award was just a part of the greater satisfaction he found in seeing the project flourish on the ground.

Returning to the UK in summer 2010 was not easy, he says, and Richard still keeps in touch with the office in Ethiopia he helped to establish. Richard’s contribution to the work of the Brighton Marathon bodes well for the future of the event. He said: “Like so many running events in the UK, we’re riding a wave of popularity in these kind of events. Last year’s marathon was a great day and the people of Brighton gave lots of support. Both these things have given us a lot of confidence for future events in and around Brighton.”

Part of Richard’s work with the marathon is to attract more top British runners to run in Brighton. A recent training weekend attended by the likes of leading British marathoner Dan Robinson gave impetus to this plan, and drew positive coverage from national athletics media.

“Events like ours should also offer motivation to British runners, even if it’s now super-fast African athletes who make the headlines in the bigger international races.”

Reflecting on his life as a runner, Richard says that running has opened many doors for him, for which he feels very grateful. “Running is not just something I do, but it’s very much a part of me as a person. Yes, I still enjoy going for a run and feeling fit, but I also want to pass on what I’ve learnt and help others to enjoy the sport.”

As his competitive career came to an end, Richard wrote ‘Marathon Running: From Beginner to Elite,’ which he describes as “part memoir, part-manual”. “I wanted to put down on paper my own experiences as an elite performer while at the same time giving advice and encouragement to new runners as well as more experienced runners.”

Richard started out as a young schoolboy runner growing up in Bradford and recalls: “I was nine when I won my first race at school. I enjoyed running because I was good at it, and I was helped by having two ultra-keen schoolteachers who gave me lots of encouragement. Today young runners need that kind of encouragement – and more.”

“Joining a club isn’t a must for everybody but at a certain stage in a young athlete’s development it can play a vital role in offering good advice and guidance. For folks later in life clubs are primarily a good way to enjoy running socially and keep friendships.”

Wickers - for Sussex Sport Jan

Wickers Gym Club is committed to training children in the art of gymnastics and supporting them into adulthood where they have the chance to gain qualifications and even coach.

Based in Lancing, the club now has over 300-members and will soon by moving to a larger venue to accommodate for them. Accredited both by Sport England and British Gymnastics they have been working to help young gymnasts flourish for the past 22-years.

Manager, Katy Hodgson, from Shoreham-by-Sea, opened the club when she was 16 years old. She said: “I started the club because I wanted put something back into the local community. I had been a gymnast since the age of three and there was not a local club in my area so along with a couple of friends who were also qualified coaches we decided to start the club.”

The venture was successful from the outset, as Hodgson explained: “Our first night we had three hour long sessions and 20 children attended!” Since then, expansion has been steady and Katy now employs nine qualified coaches.

The walls of the gym tell a story, with posters stating slogans such as ‘training is what we do while our opponent is sleeping’ and the buzz of enthusiasm and determination is unmistakable. However, the atmosphere remains one that promotes fun and enjoyment of physicality before pressure, and the slogans are accompanied by smiles and a cheerful team.

Lessons can begin as soon as children are able to walk. These preschool classes, which children attend with their parents, are designed to bring activity into their lives from an early age and help parents to bond with their little ones in an active environment.

“These sessions are an ideal opportunity to help children build strength, develop coordination, learn social skills and make new friends, learn valuable listening skills and follow verbal instruction, all whilst having great fun, and engaging with their parents and carers in a sporting activity.”

Giving children an opportunity to take part in classes such as these can give them a leg-up in development and a huge confidence boost. Katy said, “Gymnastics sessions will enhance co-operative play, and turn taking amongst young children who are still in their early years of social and physical development”

At around two years old children are encouraged to join independent classes. Sessions continue to push the children to develop their capabilities and the young athletes are given the chance to perform in competitions and take exams.

Fourteen year old Abigail said: “I love wickers because it is a fun place to be, I get to learn new skills, get British Gymnastics badges, and meet lots of new friends.”

Some children fall away from gymnastics as they grow and develop other interests. Others, however, stay, and these are then given the opportunity to take their learning to the next level and when they hit sixteen the Level 1 qualification allows them to become coaches, and turn their hobby into a livelihood.

The course involves three to four days practical training, and then the aspiring coaches have to complete a logbook which involves lots of practical tasks over a period of time. After a 3 month period they have a practical assessment.

With its new building and facilities, the Wickers team hope they will be able to upgrade the service they provide. With two coaches now trained in free style gymnastics, Katy is now hoping to reach a whole new audience.

Excited by the new discipline, she said: “We hope that by offering sessions in free style gymnastics the club will attract new members who are a little older and also it will encourage our older members to stay and try a new skill.”

Looking to the new year, Katy is planning to expand in 2011. Opening hours will be expanding and she plans to recruit another six members for the leadership programme and two new full-time coaches. All this, combined with the new venue means more classes, more variety and more opportunity.

“The last 22 years have been a pleasure” said Katy, “and I can only hope to continue to build the club and see more young athletes achieve their goals.”

'Busy Lizzy' - to appear in SussexSport Dec Edition

Elisabeth Brama has the drive and determination of a professional athlete, though she fits her training in around the busy life of a PhD student.



In 2009 the27-year-old bulldozed through a 2.4mile swim, 112mile bike ride and 26.2mile run in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii alongside professional triathletes and came 8th in her age group despite being relatively new to the sport.

This year, she has spent her time concentrating on racing shorter distances and ranks 3rd nationally as an age-grouper and is now beginning a new off-season training plan with hopes of returning to Hawaii and becoming a professional.

Raised in Germany, she chose to study physics at Sussex University having fallen for the charm of Brighton. “I came to Brighton for two days and just thought ‘I want to live here’. I’m not sure I ever want to leave. I went out cycling on Sunday and did all the little country lanes– I know everywhere like the back of my hand, and I love it.”

Though her PhD means she can work flexible hours, and fit long runs into extended lunch breaks she said: “My work takes up a lot of my time, there are a lot of hours to fit in. I guess it comes down to making sessions count. I now train 12 hours a week and I’m racing people who could afford to manage 30. I just want to know what I can do if I train more. I want to find if I can do well enough to justify sacrificing a career in Physics to race professionally.”

With the help of coach, Bill Black, the last season has seen huge acceleration in her progress and she hopes this will continue. “I was self coached till August this year. And I took to it quite intuitively. I made mistakes but none of them drastic. Having a coach means I don’t have to think about it so much, I can just go on auto pilot – I get my plan, and do it. And I’m not alone anymore; I have someone who can help me when it’s just not working.”

It seems that the guidance of a coach is working. The season’s crowning glory took place at Hever Castle, where she raced in the elite wave and was beaten only by semi-elite athlete Jill Parker. She said: “It gave me a glimpse of what I can achieve under Bill's guidance, at that point I had been coached by him for two months and that short space of time was all it took to make things work much better already.”

Her competitive nature is a clear driving force. She said: “I wouldn’t be doing sport and racing if I wasn’t competitive. I want to win! Maybe if I was at the top of my game I might give up but at the moment there’s still so much room for improvement.”

Of Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington she said: “Chrissie is the best at what I’m doing, but I don’t really get star struck I don’t see the point in idols. Right now, Chrissie is a target!”

Lizzy began her sporting career in the swimming pool, where she trained five times a week from the age of seven. It wasn’t until she came to study at university that she chose to take up triathlon.

“When I started university the swimming club I joined had a go at a triathlon – so I did one. It was something different. I wasn’t swimming competitively and there was some frustration in that.”

In her first season it became clear she had quite a knack for the sport and managed to come first in the Steyning olympic distance triathlon, win her first prizes and see her face appear in a triathlon magazine. Her cycling and swimming were distinctive talents, but running has always been hard work and she hopes to improve over the winter.

It’s taken dedication and sacrifice for the self titled ‘busy Lizzy’ to get where she is today. It seems the work is paying off, and having got her national podium place Lizzy will be attending the British Triathlon Federation awards on 13th November.

Emma Pallant - Olympics 2012

Having beaten a recurring injury Olympic hopeful Emma Pallant is back on track and setting her sights upon 2012.

The 21 year old from Hampshire trains with Aldershot Farnham and District Clubs, as well as Brunel University and has recently graduated with a degree in physiotherapy.

The past year has been difficult for Pallant. She had knee surgery in 2009 but the injury has continued to dog her progress throughout 2010. She said: “after the knee surgery I was tempted to give up. I was on pretty strong painkillers and couldn’t see myself getting back to where I was.”

She spent time in the pool, cross training to keep fit: “I love running, but when it hurt I struggled mentally. Being in a freezing cold pool at 6.30 am was hard sometimes. But that’s where Kelly (Dame Kelly Holmes) stepped in, she’s had a lot of injuries in her time and understands the frustration and that helped.”

Dame Kelly Holmes has done a lot for the young athlete, and has been mentoring her since 2005.

Giving up is hardly a genuine option. “I started running when I was so young, it would be weird if I wasn’t running. I’ve always been someone who needs to be active. There is something within me that needs to burn off energy. I do a lot of sports.”

Pallant enjoys football, swimming, badminton and hockey among a host of other sports. Running is her true love however, “Pushing your body to the max is just such an amazing feeling, I can’t describe it – that feeling you get after a really good session.”

Emma has competed consistently in cross country and track races, taking first place in two 1000m races in 2000 at the age of ten, and going on to achieve a host of first place positions in races in 2001, including the Hampshire Country Championships and the Inter County League in Kingston.

The transition to senior racing however has been hard. As a youngster taking part in under 13 and under 15 races Emma was “pretty much unbeaten.” She said: “I took racing and success for granted; when people started catching up I had a couple of years of mental struggle.”

Emma got through the rough patch however and at the age of eighteen won the World Junior Championships in the 1500m distance. Weathering the storm has made her stronger, she says: “It happens to everyone, if you ride out the rough times you get through.”

Now, leaving the under 20 age group, Emma is beginning another battle with patience to get to the top of her game. Emma said “You can be top of the top on the junior field junior but you move to senior and you’re no longer the best or the one everyone’s talking about and you have to learn to deal with it. You have to be patient which has never been my strong point.”

Dame Kelly Homles is helping her along the way with the transition. She provides her with massage and nutrition advice and a grant which keeps her a good physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach and physiologist. Along with a sponsorship from Nike, she seems all set to blaze her way to the Olympics.

Pallants gaze is now well and truly set upon 2012. Feeling fit, she hopes to perform well, “You can’t expect to get a podium place in your first Olympics, but I want to do my best. Long term, I want to keep consistently getting into the GB squad.”

The 21 year olds determination is plain, she has a passion for her sport which is clearly helped her keep driving through her injuries. “When it comes down to it, though, I love running and I’ll do it because I love it.”

Goodwood, XC League Race1

U13s-U17s

The Sussex Cross Country League began at Goodwood on Saturday and attracted a host of talented young athletes from around the county.

Whilst devoted parents shivered in the crisp October wind, their children revelled in the competition of a new season.

First off the gun were the under 13 girls. Leader, Grace Cook, 12, from Bodyworks has been keeping herself fit over summer training for triathlon. Coming back to cross country running, she said: “it was such a shock and harder than I remember.” She now has her sights set upon the Birmingham inter-county championships.

Following her was Martha Coyle, 13, from Carden Newman School who runs for Brighton and Hove. She said “I just want to do the best of my ability. Grace is really good, I’m not aiming to beat her but I’d like to try and close the gap a little bit.”

The boys were next off the mark, and Brighton and Hove dominated the podium. First, Stephen Ferroni, 12, and second Samura Kamara, also 12, were both sporting the club colours. Samura, who has only been training for five months said: “it was alright, it wasn’t super-mega-hard and there was no one next to me.”

Stephen kept in first position the whole way round, and said: “It wasn’t hard, or easy, it was somewhere in between.”

Grace Baker from Hastings Athletics club took the prize for Under 15 girls, despite saying she had been suffering with a cold all week. She was looking forward to the season ahead and pleased to be back out in the woods.

The under 15 boys were the only racers to be rained upon, with a sudden storm inhibiting them. They were led by Nick Rawbin, a triathlete from Bodyworks in his second year of cross country racing. This was his first win, a good omen he took to heart, saying: “it should be a good year.”

In second and third were Ben Collier, of Horsham Blue Star Harriers, 14, and Billy White, 13, of Phoenix. Both said the rain lost them some time, but were pleased with their places. Ben called the result: “a good start to the season.”

The under 17 girls race was won by Abigail Ashbee-Simmonds from Crawley AC powered through a hilly 5km alongside the senior and veteran women, followed by Josephine- Joy Sunderland and Lauren Bourne, both from Worthing and District Harriers.

Charlie Grice took the first prize in the under 17. He had a two week break before returning to training a month ago, and said it was his first race back so he “wasn’t expecting much.” He was followed by Ludo Goodliffe from Lewes AC and Ryan Driscoll from Tunbridge.

The first race of the league marked the beginning of the cross country season for a number of the athletes competing. Races will take place monthly in Plumpton, 27 November, Bexhill, 15th January, and Lancing 12 Febuary with familiar faces likely to be appearing across the league.

Seniors/Vets/U20


Sussex celebrated its cross country talent on Saturday as the regional Brooks Cross Country League began at Goodwood in Chichester.

Ben Warren from Hailsham took the first male prize despite an unexpected stumble on the finishing straight. He righted himself immediately and went on to a strong finish.

The race was a battle between Warren and Adam Clarke, Hastings AC. Warren said the youngster was like a “man possessed” after he led the race at the start.

Warren said he had recently taken up triathlon to keep his interest in sport fresh, and felt that the training helped him despite cutting down on his running miles to squeeze in his biking and swimming.

Clarke said: “My training has been solid and is going well. I haven’t tapered at all, but so far I’m going strong.

Holly Wheeler of Hastings AC took first female position. She re-joined the running world in 2008 after completing a degree which she did part-time alongside her work.
Wheeler said her running had been “on and off” and her father explained that she had maintained her fitness through travelling and being active in her life.

Gloriously down to earth she said: “It was painful but enjoyable. Some runs are just painful, but I enjoyed that.” She called the sharp downhill in the course an ‘ankle breaker.’

Behind her were Amelia Jobling, a pentathelete also from Hastings AC, and Fiona Powell from Brighton and Hove.

Brighton and Hove produced the best veterans with Sarah Coope taking first female and David Benton, a former elite GB duathlete from Brighton and Hove coming eighth overall and first male veteran. He’s been keeping his legs strong competing in duathlons and a few triathlons over summer, and enjoyed the climbs of the course though he said it was “a bit twisty” at parts.

Supporters and runners a like filled Goodwood field this weekend, and it was a promising start for the cross country season.

Rugby boys do some training, for once ;-)

The Sussex University men’s rugby team embarked on a 24 hour row that ran overnight from midday Thursday to raise money for Cancer Research.

The sporting effort was organised by John Behan and Guy Turok. They hope to raise money through an internet sponsorship page and a raffle.

The team chose the charity because they decided that a national organisation would be most appropriate for a student effort. John said: “People at university come from all over the country, but everybody knows Cancer Research and the work they do.”

As well as collecting some impressively tempting raffle prizes, the boys also set up a marquee and had laptops available so that passers-by could give money at the tap of a button. They also gave out free drinks having gained support from drinks retailer Red Bull.

The star raffle prize is a ticket for ten people to see London Saracens Rugby club at Wembley. Other locally funded prizes include two bikes donated by Belushi’s of Brighton, a one month free membership at LA Fitness and a variety of meals at local restaurants.

The raffle will run throughout the week, and tickets will be on sale for £1 in the students' union bar, at Falmer House.

John, who took on the first of many rowing shifts, said: “Support has just snowballed, local companies have given us some great prizes.”

Each team member took on several sessions of twenty minutes to fill the 24 hours. Asked if he was nervous about his performance, John said: “Yes, but I’ve been more nervous about the organisation of the event. I’ve been losing sleep over it.”

One rower, Harry Munro said: “It will be hard work; we’re rowing on the highest level of resistance.” His team mate, Tom Nadin added that it was like “rowing through concrete.”

With the event taking place in Library Square, at the centre of the university, the boys received plenty of student encouragement. No doubt, after 24 hours of rowing shifts, the lads needed some cheer.

Anyone wishing to sponsor the team can do so at www.justgiving.com/SussexRugbycharityrow