Select a region
Triathlete Andrea Nightingale has been selected to represent Great Britain in two different sports.
Andrea will be part of the 70-strong Team GB travelling to the Age Group World Championships in Australia later this month where she will compete in a 20km time trial cycling event and three weeks later will represent Great Britain in the Age Group World Championship for Olympic distance triathlon in Cozumel in Mexico.
‘I was part of Team GB at the World Championship for Olympic distance triathlon last year in Chicago and finished 12th in the team in my age group and 49th in the world. I really enjoyed it but really want to be in the top 10 and top 30 respectively and decided to have another go,’ said the 55-year-old, who is Guernsey’s drug & alcohol strategy co-ordinator.
‘There were two chances to qualify for Cozumel and I succeeded on my first go. The following week, I took part in the Tour of Cambridgeshire Chrono event which is a 25km time trial. It was the first TT race that I had done but it was really just part of my training and because cycling is my strongest discipline, I thought I’d have a go.’
To her surprise, she won the race crossing the line in 47:34:08, one minute and 47 seconds ahead of any other woman in the 55 – 59 year age group.
‘By winning I became national champion and was then told I had qualified to represent Great Britain in Perth so in the space of a fortnight, I had qualified for Team GB in two world age group events in two different sports.’
The mother of two then faced a dilemma having already committed to going to Mexico.
‘I’ve never asked for sponsorship for anything I have done and it’s always been self-funded but I knew there was no way I could afford to go to Australia and Mexico in the space of a month,’ she said.
Andrea decided to write to Ravenscroft, having known chief executive officer Jon Ravenscroft for a number of years.
‘Jon is a huge supporter of sport in the island and really understands the issues that local sports people face if they want to take their passion to the next level. Both Jon personally and Ravenscroft as a company have already committed thousands to sport this year and so I was really touched when they agreed to financially help me go to Perth and Mexico,’ she said.
‘Knowing that other people believe in you is really motivating and I have been training two hours a day for months to ensure I am ready. Being in the 55-59 year old age bracket, I don’t know how long I can continue to compete at this level and so I am determined to give it everything I have.’
Andrea knows she has set herself a considerable challenge. In Perth, the 20km race is round the circumference of Rottnest Island.
‘It’s a technical course as it’s very undulating and because you’re going round the whole island, you’ll experience four different wind directions,’ she said.
She has given herself a couple of days to acclimatise, one day to practise the course and will then fly home the day after the race.
‘My training recently has been focused around that race as a time trial is very different to a triathlon so as soon as I’m back, I need to switch back into tri training and be ready for a one mile swim, a 25 mile bike ride and a six mile run. Thankfully, I’ve got some great support from TriFitness and I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for the constant support of my husband, my sons and two great friends Tim Loveridge and Richard Freeman who I met when taking part in the Les Bourgs 30/30 Challenge seven years ago and we have been biking buddies ever since .’
Andrea is hoping to break two hours 40 minutes but knows it won’t be easy.
‘My best is two hours, 41 minutes and 32 seconds but I’ve never raced in somewhere as hot and humid as Mexico before so I’m learning a lot about what I need to do to fuel up and be hydrated.’
What makes Andrea’s story even more remarkable is that her sporting prowess is relatively recent.
‘In 2007, I decided to do the 30/30 cycle challenge in aid of Les Bourgs Hospice to honour my father who had recently died. Although he hadn’t spent any time in the hospice, it was a charity I wanted to support,’ she said.
‘I’ve taken part every year since and have raised over £15,000 but once the challenge of doing it the first time was over, I wanted to keep pushing myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do anything that I put my mind to and celebrate that I was still fit and able.’
She started adding swimming and running into her training and then entered some on-island competitions before looking elsewhere for events where she could pitch herself against those of the same age.
‘It’s a huge commitment but one I still enjoy and so while I don’t mind getting up at 6am and training for two hours before I go to work then I’ll continue. It’s been a huge privilege as I have met some incredible people and I am so proud that I have been able to wear a GB suit - that was definitely never part of the plan.’
Jon Ravenscroft, group CEO of Ravenscroft, said Andrea’s achievement proved that it was never too late.
‘Ravenscroft is a significant supporter of sport at the grass roots level as we want to give youngsters every opportunity we can for them to take part, enjoy and be successful at whichever sport they choose. What Andrea has shown is that, no matter what your age, it simply takes guts and determination and anything is possible. It’s a phenomenal achievement and we’re delighted she will wear the Ravenscroft name when she takes on the world,’ he said.
But Andrea doesn’t believe her achievement is out of the ordinary.
‘I just caught the bug and if I can, then anyone can. There are so many events that islanders can take part in like the Get Fit Guernsey ones so set yourself a challenge, do some training, raise some money so there is an added incentive to finish and then just give it your best. The feeling when you cross the finish line of whatever challenge you’ve set yourself is hard to beat.’
