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Fintan Kennedy has always been into sports. Growing up in Ireland, he played football. It's only at the age of 40 that he took up triathlon. Five years later, he is an active member of the Jersey Triathlon Club, and has completed multiple Olympic distance triathlons and three 'half Ironman' races.
While a "niggly injury" is keeping him away from this Sunday's Jersey Triathlon, Fintan is getting ready for his full distance Ironman, taking place in Bolton in two weeks. He is also looking forward to the return of the Super League Triathlon, which he was instrumental in bringing to Jersey.
Fintan managed to keep still long enough to write about five things he would change about Jersey for Express...
Too many times I’ve come across the attitude that we “can’t do this because...” and indeed when Nick Saunders and I first voiced the opportunity to bring Super League Triathlon to Jersey, many thought it was a joke and others said we would never get the necessary permissions to close down roads or harbours.
Pictured: Fintan Kennedy and Nick Saunders were told they would never manage to bring the Super League Triathlon in Jersey and yet they did.
Well we did! We actually have very cooperative states members and civil servants who worked closely with us to make it happen, so I would encourage anyone who has an idea for a large scale event to go for it. We have a wonderful Island with so much to offer and we need to spread the word!
For Super League Triathlon, we were very fortunate to have the support of the Economic Development department; Lyndon Farnham as well as his assistant Minister Steve Pallett are both passionate sports people. It is fantastic now to see Jersey Sport inspiring an active community.
But to me they (and all sports in the Island) need a specific voice, a Minister for Sport if you like to provide that extra push and gravitas to sport, whether that is from a recreational or competitive point of view.
The island has way too many vehicles. At the end of 2017, there were over 125,000 cars registered and the number of cars per household at 1.5 was higher than the UK at 1.2.
Pictured: Fewer cars, more buses and bikes should be Jersey motto according to Fintan.
Whilst we have wonderful cycling lanes on the Island, I would like to see further networks developed to encourage a more active but safe environment to cycle / walk on. The bus service continues to improve, with modern buses and a more frequent schedule. This helps to alleviate the congestion on our roads and ultimately improves our environment and, as a consequence, health.
I think we have a great opportunity to develop our sports offering on the Island. What Ben Harvey is trying to achieve with his state of the arts facility will be fantastic for the island if he pulls it off. It will provide a platform for schools, sports and community groups as well élite athletes and paying gym users. If we are to develop sports led tourism, we need the facilities: a 50m swimming pool and a purpose built cycling track come to mind. "Build it and they will come...”.
Pictured: Jersey would benefit from better sports facilities, including a 50m swimming pool.
Super League Triathlon is a great example of what we can achieve when the community works together and I would encourage as many people as possible to come and participate in our Super League Age Group events open to all this year with various distances and relay options available.
We are very lucky to live on this Island and we should be proud of it. I despair when I hear the words “there’s nothing to do.” We have a tremendous array of activities and events to choose from, so I’d encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy our natural environment – it’s wonderful.
Pictured: Fintan doesn't want to change much about Jersey, apart from Fort Regent.
I say “don’t change much” but Fort Regent… so much potential!
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not Bailiwick Express.
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