Hello Dan, do you want to just tell us a little about yourself?
I’m Dan. I’m from Ulgham which is a little village in Northumberland and I attend The King Edward VI School in Morpeth. I have been in Triathlon since I was 9 years old and I’m apart of Ryton Triathlon Club, North East Triathlon Academy and the England Next Generation Programme.
British Champ!
Last season you stepped up to “Junior men” meaning that you were up against lads possibly 3 years older, how did that feel and will it give you an edge this season?
Moving up an age category to the Junior men was a brilliant learning experience for me. It really threw everything it could at me as I got to experience the major highs and the lows. I think my first race in LLanelli British Junior Super Series was probably the most nerve racking, only 15 at the time I was up against boys that were up to 19 years old, however the race went really well and I won which was a huge confidence boost for the start of the year! I think that for this year it definitely will give me a bit more of an edge. Having experienced many Junior races last year, I know what I’m stepping into this season and hopefully that will give me confidence through each race I take on.
You took an ETU cup win in Riga last year, what is your goal or goals for this year?
The win at Riga ETU Cup last year was by far the biggest win I have ever had, however this year I plan to focus more on championship success. This for me means aiming firstly for the European Junior Triathlon Championships in Weert, Netherlands. This will be the first real aim however qualification to the race will be tough, as it will be an Elite Junior and Senior mixed field, with myself being the youngest there. My second aim of the year is to qualify for the World Junior Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will really be the top goal by far!
Video footage of the win – the age gap is really apparent!
What other races have you planned? will you do a super league event again?
Alongside the Elite Junior racing I’m planning to race in the British Senior Elite Championships in Cardiff, a huge step up however I will be going there to take out as many Seniors as possible and hopefully get on the podium. Another goal for me this year is to race some local events, most likely Woodhorn Sprint Triathlon, as it is fantastic to race so close to home and also have a good battle against the local lads. Super League is certainly in the race plan but I will just see how the season pans out (certainly one of the best events I have ever done!)
Super League Success 2018
What type of race course do you like best, climbs, straight n flat etc?
Tougher the better! Being on the small side for triathletes (standing at a huge 5ft6) I get on very well with the hilly courses and love a challenging course, however I do love to Time Trial so I’m certainly not put off by a flatter ‘power’ course. Races like Kitzbuhel ETU Cup are brilliant for the challenging course profiles!
At your level, the margins for winning are narrow and rivals are always near – is there a plan or do you go when you see someone cracking?
To be honest I don’t ever really race with a plan, a goal yes, but not a plan! There are so many thousands of decisions that are made and need to be made within a Triathlon, some are thought about but many are sub-conscious or racers instinct. This ultimately creates a very uncertain environment with many factors that are out of your control, which can significantly affect any prior plans that you have. This why I just focus on my own race and I race purely in the moment from feel.
What will you be doing outside of triathlon and who supports you to do what you do?
Triathlon as you can imagine takes up a significant portion of my life however I do like to get away from it sometimes. Holidays (when I can), eating out, spending time with the family, messing around with anything outdoors etc is what keeps me occupied outside of the sport. Only being in year 12 means I still have a further year and a half of A levels too. Recently though I have got my lifeguard qualification, so I will be working in Morpeth Leisure Centre which I’m really looking forward too.
So who are the support crew?
The solid foundation behind me and the amazing people who help me to develop day in and day out! You literally cannot get anywhere in this sport without support and so I’m extremely lucky to have the best people in the world behind me, they are the heroes behind the ‘scene’ taking me all over the country and the world, cook all my meals, give me kit that allows me to train and race, get me through rehab and support me through the highs and the lows, along with many other things! My parents, my coach Mike Harris, my Granny, friends, Jim Alder, my Godfather Paul Fairbrother, my club cycling coach Brian Smith, my physio Phil Smith, TASS support, my amazing club and academy coaches Sue and Colin Gardener, British Triathlon team, Yonda Wetsuits, Harry Walker at Revolver Wheels, Limar Helmets, SportsHub, Bike Box Alan and list goes on!!! I’m hugely privileged to have this sort of support!
Family support crew!
northerntrier 