TRIATHLON: Grantham’s Abi heads for Geneva with a ‘proper’ bike

Former KGGS student Abi Schofield will be heading to this year’s European Sprint Triathlon Championships with a bicycle designed to do the job.

Twenty-four-year-old Abi qualified for the Great Britain team after only her first triathlon last year.

A member of Belvoir Tri Club and Grantham Running Club, special needs teacher Abi swam to national level as a teenager and then discovered marathon running two years ago.

Following last year’s Edinburgh Marathon, in which she achieved a ‘good for age’ place, Abi thought she would try her hand at triathlon – and duly impressed.

Abi said: “I tried a triathlon on a secondhand man’s bike to do something different. It turned out I was good enough to qualify for the age-group sprint team.”

Her ability caught the attention of Market Deeping bike shop Terry Wright Cycles who have provided her with a women’s Specialized carbon fibre road bike.

She said she was also grateful to have received sponsorship from Lloyd McAuliffe, owner of Oscar’s Wine Bar: “Supporting local athletes to drive their achievements forward is a huge act of generosity.”

Abi is now coached by triathlon coach Stefan Lawrence and trains seven days a week. Other targets for Abi this year are the British Age Group Championships, qualifying for next year’s ITU World Championships, more marathons, ultra-marathons and a half-Ironman tri in August.

Abi said: “I love everything sport brings with it.”