2019-06-01_220_Triathlon

June 2019 / / 115

ITU/WAGNERARAUJO

TheparatriathlonstarandParalympicgold medallist offers

hiswinningadvicefor triathlonracing

ANDY LEWIS MBE

racingsprintdistance,I found

fuellingeasy.NowI’vemovedto

long-distanceracing,I’vestarted

workingwithTorqandthe

UniversityofGloucestershire

tounderstandmybodyinlabtests.

Togetthebestfromyourbodyyou

needtofuelit correctlyandlisten

to theprofessionals.A labservice

ismoneywellspent.

4

LEARNFROM

MISTAKES

Mybiggestblunderwasdoing

anextralaponthebikeatthe

ITUWorldChampsinChicagoin

2015.Thatwasembarrassingand

alsobrokeme;it wastheworld

champstheyearbeforetheRio

Olympics.It costmemyfunding

asI wentfrombeinginsecond

placeto12th.I nowsetmyGarmin

tocountmylaps,butalsoreccethe

coursetodecidewhereI’m going to

start/stop counting.

1

REMEMBERTHEWHYS

Everyonefeelsdifferentlybefore

a race,butI alwaysgetnervous

rightuntilthehorngoes.I prepare

bylisteningtosomehardrock

(GunsN’Roses)andtellingmyself

thatit’sallforfun.Therearelotsof

egosintri,soit’sveryimportantto

rememberwhywedothesport.

2

BELIEVEINYOURSELF

I’vehadtodealwitha lot

ofpressureasanathlete.I’ve

alwayshadpeoplebreathing

downmynecknomatter

whattherace,especiallyafterthe

RioOlympics.Mykeyadvicefor

whenthingsdon’tgotoplanis

tobeyourselfand always believe

inyourself.

3

FUELFORSUCCESS

Trinutritionissomethingthat

I’monlynowstartingto

understand. Previously, when

5

AT TE M PTAR E L AY

If you’renotenjoyingtriathlon,

it’stimefora rethink.I love

competingbutI don’tenjoythe

finaltwodaysbeforea race.I doit

becauseI adoreracing;it helpsto

alwayswanttobetteryourself.My

adviceforbeginners?Findtwo

friendswhofeeltheyhavetheskills

ofeitherswim,bikeorrunand

createa relayteam.Triisan

individualsportbutmakeit funby

sharingtheloadsometimes.

6

SUCCESSISN’TINSTANT

Triathloncanbea daunting

sport,withalltheequipment,

differentlevelsofability,andthe

enigmathatistransition.But

everyonehastostartsomewhere.

EventheBrownleeshadtoputona

bravefaceinthebeginning.It

doesn’thappenovernight.It also

doesn’tmatterhowmanyquestions

you ask, as that’s how we learn.

pro

advice

ABOUT

ANDY
AndyLewis
MBE,36,is a GB
paratriathlete
from
Gloucestershire
whocompetes
asa through-
kneeamputee,
havinglosthis
legat theageof
16 aftera serious
motorcycle
accident.He
tookuptriathlon
in 2013andhis
honoursinclude
goldin themen’s
PT2paratriathlon
at the 2016
Paralympics
in Rio,aswell
asworldand
European
Championship
victories.