Kieran Galvin
WHILE the cream of Europe’s triathletes battled for glory in Athlone last weekend, many of the local participants had different aims in mind. Some were happy to complete a triathlon for the first time; others were attempting to improve on their performance from last year; some took part for charity and others did it simply for fun.
Ian McLoughlin from lona Park, Athlone, more known for his basketball prowess, was among those who completed his first triathlon last weekend. Ian opted for the shorter swim (200 m) followed by 20k on the bike and the 5k run.
“I found the swim the hardest but I made up the time on the bike and on the run. I’m happy to get the first one out of the way, I might do another one or two, that’s the plan anyway, it keeps me fit during the summer,” said lan. Hazel Daly is a member of the Mount Temple TriAthlone Team, who took part in the tri- Athlone to raise funds for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and Cancer Care West.
“This is my third time to do it. We’ve done it for CRY for the past two years and this year we’re doing it for Cancer Care West and CRY,” said Hazel.
“It’s a great buzz. I’m in a relay, I do the swim, Liz Mc- Cormack does the cycle and Patricia Cassells does the run, we’ve had the same team for the last three years.”
This year, the Mount Temple group had 40 members doing the triAthlone to raise funds for the two aforementioned charities