Select a region
The Granite Kids Triathlon season is kicking off this weekend with a Closed Road Duathlon.
The next and likely to be the most popular event of the series is the Off Road Triathlon on Sunday 15th May at Beau Sejour following the Adult Novice Triathlon.
Guernsey Triathlon Club coach Paul (Digger) De Garis said: “We have also got 15 juniors from Jersey coming over to compete in this event which will be great.”
Triathlon has become one of the fastest-growing sports on the island, and the junior events are a vital part of this trend. In 2015, Granite Kids was set up by the Guernsey Triathlon Club to introduce children on the island to the sport. With over 15 juniors now registered, the club is looking forward to the new season which kicks off on Sunday 24th April, 2016.
De Garis hopes that as many children get involved this season as possible.
De Garis said: “The junior events are generally shorter than adult competitions and are also adjusted for each of the age classes. They are open to anyone from the age of eight to 16 years old and are a great way for children to keep fit, active and healthy while learning multiple disciplines.”
The club has a number of young triathletes that are keen to progress in the sport.
10 years old Finlay Mechem is a rising star within the sport and has a passion for cycling which he displays when training with the Guernsey Velo Club as well as competing in triathlons and duathlons. He has been working hard on his fitness for his cycling and has found that he loves competing in the Granite Kids events. He has found that his fitness has really improved especially with swimming and he has also made new friends at the same time.
Nine years old Chay Kennedy Cook has always had a love for endurance sports and is an active member of the Guernsey Swim School, Guernsey Athletics Club and the Guernsey Velo Club so it seemed a natural progression for him to start competing in triathlons. He has found that the Guernsey Triathlon Granite Kids offer the perfect races for training throughout the summer, and are also fun too.
Another rising star within the club is 11 years old Adrienne Leech who has always had a natural sporting ability. At six years old she began representing Guernsey in cycling and continued this until she found her passion for triathlons last year. Adrienne trains multiple times a week for the races and has gone from strength to strength in the sport.
Jacques Cauvain, a pupil at Castel School, has also found a love for triathlons. He is a keen swimmer and runner and was a member of the Guernsey Swimming Club and Guernsey Athletics Club before joining the Guernsey Triathlon Club last year.
Jaques said: “I like triathlon because it is varied and I love the competitive side. It’s really great for my fitness and stamina which especially helps with my football training. I hope to continue to get better in the future and take part in the Iron Man just like Paul [De Garis] did!”
Guernsey Triathlon Club president, Mark Naftel said: “It’s great to see more kids getting involved in our triathlon events. They are designed to give children the experience of competing in multiple disciplines without taxing them with difficult courses.
“Our cycling courses are for mountain bikes making it fairer to all those who are competing, as not all the kids have road sprint bikes. There is also only one open water swim which is at the end of the summer season. This is managed very tightly from a health and safety point of view; the remainder of the swims are in pools.”
The first event for the Granite Kids is a mini triathlon at St Sampson High School on Sunday 24th April at 9:00am.
