WATTS OCCURING
“This is a start on my road to Paris 2024 Olympic glory”
Golden sands and crescent bays. Bright sunshine and biblical downpours. Compression wear, carbon frames and quizzical locals. An island invaded by a legion of Lycra-clad triathletes in early October. Squint hard enough (and I mean squint pretty hard) and it could be the Big Island of Kona. Yes, I know it’s only Barry Island, but I like it, like it, yes, I do.
It’s soon before 7:30am, dawn is debating whether to break and the second biggest tidal range in the world awaits us at the start of 2021’s SWYD Triathlon. We’re called to the swim start line in groups of three athletes, the damp sand crunching beneath our bare feet. “Good to go,” calls a race marshal and it’s a sprint to the Severn Estuary. We’re hit by choppy waters and tenacious currents, and the field is soon a sprawling mess.
A distant inflatable marker rocks in the
