Meet the tri clubs #1
Willesden Triathlon Club, London

While Willesden Triathlon Club might be one of London’s smallest triathlon clubs, it aims to be the friendliest – it even has its own beer. Hanna Andersson meets Kristin Duffy, founder and head coach at WTC.

How did Willesden Triathlon Club start?
I first started the club in late 2011/early 2012, prior to the Olympics. British Triathlon wanted a club in the Brent Council area and, with support from Sportivate, the initial aim was to reach 16-25 year olds – the age range many stop doing sport. I answered the call and the club grew out of that, it was the first triathlon club in Brent.

How many members are in the club?
We have around 40 members. Our oldest member is in her 60s and we’ve had as young as 16-years-old. We’re nearly 50/50 gender split, with a slightly higher percentage of women.

What is your weekly routine?
We train formally on Tuesday evenings, when we do both swimming and running. Everyone trains together, and I ensure that everyone finishes together. Even our quickest athletes are really welcoming and look out for their fellow teammates.

How important is the gear?
Not very. I encourage people to just start, and then they can spend money if they discover they like triathlon (which they usually do!). We have members with the newest bikes, as well as members who ride the same entry-level or hybrid bike to work and to compete. The latest thing has been a running power meter. But to start you need much less fancy equipment!

Do you have a star athlete?
We have had a few athletes qualifying for the GB national team, and one for Ireland. But our biggest success is in the improvement of members. We've had members that, before joining, couldn’t run or swim, now they’re doing full triathlons. That’s success! You don’t have to do Ironman, there are several shorter distances. I’m proud when members compete at any distance.

Who goes the extra mile for the club?
We did have one of our members, Graham Davies, win the BTF triathlon volunteer of the year. He joined the committee and immediately jumped in with ideas – and action. He’s also our beer expert.

Beer expert?
Yes, we brew our own beer. We are really into the social aspects and nearly everyone (especially triathletes!) loves beer! We’ve played with the recipe and come up with some really good flavours. You can find it at Beer and Burger in Willesden Green.

What kind of beer is it?
So, we have been experimenting a lot, but I think the best one is our Lost in Transition Lager.

It sounds like you have a great community?
Yes! Definitely. We are not huge, but that’s nice. We have talked about expanding the club, but I never want to get to the point where I don’t know everyone’s name. I want to keep track of our members goals and progress. We have a Christmas party every year where we give out prizes, like most improved and Lost in Transition (hence the beer name), an award for the person who seems to take the longest changing for the run at training. We also award our club championship winners.

Club championship?
Every year we pick one race, somewhere near London, and encourage as many as possible to race. That’s our club championship and the winner is recognised.

Where and when will you have your next Club Championship?
Hercules Festival of Sport in Northwood in May.

Do you organise any races as a club?
Twice a year. One in Spring and one in Autumn. They are also small, like our club, and for all levels. It’s funny because the number is usually around 40, just like our members. We try to make it memorable. We make cakes that we offer at the finish line, which the racers love. Once, we didn’t arrange our normal race, I got tons of emails asking when we were putting it on next. Though the races aren’t big, people remember them.

Anything else that is unique about your club?
So there’s the beer… and I really do believe we are the friendliest club in London. Everyone should feel welcome. You get two hours of coached training every week, for only £10 (or less if you come regularly) per session – quite a bargain in London. I should also say that we won British Triathlon club of the year for London in 2015. We loved that!

Nice work, thanks Willesden Triathlon Club.

To find out more, visit https://willesdentriathlon.co.uk

 

England rugby star begins triathlon journey with Aropec

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Aropec UK has launched a new website aimed at grassroots triathletes, runners, swimmers and cyclists supported by a campaign that has everyday athletes centre stage.

The new aropec.co.uk platform has been launched with the brand's 'Real Athletes' campaign, which stars triathletes 43-year-old Barbara Wootton, who works in HR; 30-year-old Joel Stephens, who works in financial operations, and 35-year-old personal trainer Victoria Landi. 

All three athletes were selected having been nominated by friends and colleagues via a social media campaign and feature in all of Aropec's print and digital imagery as well as making star appearances on aropec.co.uk. "They love triathlon, give everything to the sport and are real athletes so they're perfect ambassadors for Aropec," explains Tony Rowe, Aropec UK. "They're the ones who work hard at their jobs but also manage to make time for the sport they love."

The new website showcases Aropec's extensive range of wetsuits, tri suits, running and cycling gear, not to mention its compression range and accessories such as dry bags, swimming aids and goggles. It also features a series of training and fitness videos aimed at solving the key issues faced by many triathletes.

aropec.co.uk showcases the brand's range of swim, bike and run gear

Aropec was launched in the 1960s creating wetsuits for scuba divers and soon made the transition to the wider world of sports with triathlon a natural move. More significantly, while offering high level of performance and comfort in all their products, the range has always been priced at a level accessible for everyday athletes.

Running, cycling and swimming shouldn't be about having to spend a fortune to get quality performance clothing

"Running, cycling and swimming shouldn't be about having to spend a fortune to get quality performance clothing," explains Tony Rowe, Aropec UK. "We believe triathlon should be accessible and that's why we've focused on the needs of everyday athletes to ensure we price our wetsuits, tri suits, cycling and running gear is affordable. People work hard in their jobs and then give everything in the mornings, lunchtimes, evenings and at weekends, so they shouldn't be at a disadvantage just because they can't afford the brands worn by the big names. "Aropec was born in the water, making wetsuits for more than 50 years, so we know how to offer comfort and security without hindering performance."

 
Our Real Athletes (L-R) Barbara, Victoria and Joel

To celebrate the launch of its new-look website aropec.co.uk, Aropec has added six new tri suits to its already extensive triathlon range.

Five of the newcomers are part of a new Tri-Slick range aimed at both men and women of all standards from beginner to elite. These tri suits are made using a knitted-fibre structure that makes them even more durable and resilient to the conditions triathletes find themselves in during training and competition. Designed to offer premium comfort and performance, all five Tri-Slick suits feature distinct Aropec features aimed at triathletes.

The new Tri-Slick suits are: The Aropec Triathlon Men’s Tri-Slick (in blue/red or black/yellow), Aropec Triathlon Men’s Tri-Slick Geom in sleeveless and with short sleeves, Aropec Triathlon Women’s Tri-Slick Coral and Aropec Triathlon Women’s Tri-Slick Geom. All suits include include:

1. The Aropec Dynamic Band made with anti-slip fibres to keep the suit in place during cycling and motion, using a non-silicon design to avoid allergic reaction
2. The Aropec Air Pad, a high-density chamois to support major pressure points during cycling, pin-hole design to keep you cool and super-stretch fabric to offer maximum flexibility.

Joining the Tri-Slick range on aropec.co.uk is the new Aropec Camo Compression addition to Aropec’s popular Tri-Compress range. This collection is for the ultimate racer as it delivers moderated compression to aid sporting performance.

In-line with Aropec’s growing reputation for dynamic design, all new Tri-Slick suits feature eye-catching designs because, let’s be honest, whether you finish first or last, you might as well do it in style.

“Aropec.co.uk is a home for triathletes of all ages and all abilities, and these new ranges ensure we cater for everyone’s unique style and taste, while giving people premium performance, comfort and at a cost that doesn’t require you to sell a vital organ,” explains Tony Rowe, Aropec UK. “Triathlon is far too often seen as an expensive sport, but it doesn’t have to be. Our tri suits start at just £19.99 for men and women and our full body wetsuits start at £129.99. We want everyone to give triathlon a go which is why we’ve made the prices accessible without asking people to compromise on comfort and performance.”

Aropec recently launched its Real Athletes campaign designed to encourage people from all walks of life to give triathlon a go. Via the new-look online platform, aropec.co.uk, you can explore our triathlon collection while also getting hints and tips from triathletes of all walks of life.

 

 
ABOUT AROPEC: Aropec began life in 1963, initially making its mark in the world of scuba diving, creating world-class wetsuits to suit any condition. That expertise was then put to good use in the worlds of surfing, swimming and triathlon – a natural home for a brand that specialises in creating high-performance products, but without the premium price tag. Although comparatively new to the UK market, Aropec supplied the kit to Edinburgh’s Hartree Jets on their incredible rise to fame in the triathlon world in which several of their athletes were crowned age grade champions.