Hey Becky, thanks for joining me!
Let’s get to know you better…how long have you been a member of Bayside Tri Club and what made you join?
I’m a relative newbie, having joined in August 2023. After tearing my ACL for the second time playing basketball, I knew it was time to hang up my boots. Running alone wasn’t doing it for me, and since Lloyd had been teaching me how to swim, triathlon seemed like the next logical step. I started with Tri Alliance’s taster coaching and tackled my first 2XU Sprint, but after moving down to Mordy, I wanted a more local club. And that’s how I found myself here!
Phew, glad we snagged you two and not arch nemesis Tri Alliance! What are you liking about Bayside Tri Club?
The people – the “tri-be” are what make it special! [Editor groans.] Training alongside athletes who have achieved so much in the sport is both inspiring and a great way to pick up tips. The race-day camaraderie is unbeatable, and let’s be honest—the club kit looks pretty slick too (I really should get more of it!).
You should! Anything you dislike?
5:45am swim starts!
Obviously! They are for sadists.
So, what distance triathlons have you tackled so far?
I’ve done a handful of Sprints and a couple of Olympic distance races. But at some point, I’d love to commit to proper training for a Long Course – definitely a goal for the future!
Oo, sign-up for Port Macquarie with me in May 😊
Talking of sport, what achievements are you most proud of?
Probably my basketball days in my younger years—playing in tournaments abroad for SW England (U18) and Wales (University) was a huge highlight. As an adult…maybe my spontaneous sub-1:41 half marathon around the mostly deserted streets of London during lockdown. Ironically, despite having much more running experience now, I’m not sure I could beat that time!
Ha ha, lockdown certainly made us do crazy things!
Any particular race aspirations?
A podium finish would be pretty cool—though I’m still a few minutes off that! And at some point, I’d love to take on a Half Ironman…one day.
Port Macquarie 70.3? 😊
Which age group are you in for triathlon?
F 30-34
Whippersnapper. No wonder you can run so fast – life hasn’t weighed you down yet!
Who’s your greatest rival?
Probably Lloyd – though he’s the stronger swimmer, and I’ve got the edge in running (and Scrabble, for that matter), so the real battleground is on the bike. In a way, everyone in the club is a rival… but I don’t think anyone actually competes in the same category as me!
Hmm, not many. Can you bring along any young Scrabble-playing friends to join us?
Ever stuffed up in a race?
Nothing drastic (yet), but precious minutes have been lost by forgetting my bike rack number, undoing my helmet too early, and most recently, adding “swimming a bad line” to my “Mistakes CV”.
Ha ha, amateur mistakes we’ve all made. We’ll host another transition session soon and book you in! 😊
Who’s your greatest supporter?
My Grandad, who has always been interested in and supported my sport since I was a little squirt playing football in the kids’ league. But Lloyd’s pretty handy at clapping, carrying bags and constantly reminding me to drink water, too.
Pretty handy at clapping – lol.
And now to the serious questions…what’s your spirit animal?
I always think penguin when this gets asked, but only because Pingu was my childhood nickname (I was short but had EU42-sized feet). So maybe that’s my physical animal. Spirit animal? No clue.
[10 minutes later…]
I just took an online quiz, and apparently, I’m a crow. FFS… I don’t even like birds.
Ha ha, gold!
Who would you like to be for the day and why?
A whale. I’m scared of everything in the ocean (unless I’m diving), but if I was the biggest thing in it, I doubt I would be. Plus, imagine the incredible sights I’d get to experience! Maybe that should be my real spirit animal…
Yep, that’ll work 😊
What do you do for fun?
Nothing quite excites me like an adventure abroad. Otherwise, I love hiking, cinema-going, gigs, watching Liverpool FC with a cold pint, and eating gluten-free pasta and muffins (not in the same bowl).
Gluten-free pasta? That is an exciting life you lead 😉
Now Liverpool FC brings us to that Pommy accent I can’t quite place – where did you grow up?
I tell Australians Cornwall, but the truth is, it was its less reputable and picturesque neighbour – Devon. Horrible weather, great pasties and despite what the Cornish might claim, the proper way to do cream teas!
When did you come to Australia and how come?
March 2022. I met Lloyd in London at the start of lockdown, and while I had plans to move to New York for work, he convinced me otherwise…and brought me back here as a souvenir!
Ha ha, good one, Lloyd. So, you could have been power-walking through Manhattan with a coffee in one hand and a Wall Street Journal in the other. Instead, you’re in Melbourne, riding in the rain, covered in sunscreen just in case the sun makes an appearance, and debating the correct way to eat a cream tea. No regrets…
What work do you do?
I’m a tech journalist, so hopefully there aren’t any typos in this! I’m essentially doing the same job I had for eight years in the UK – just now remotely (yay) and without the exotic press trips (boo). It gives me the flexibility for lunchtime training and long trips home (more yays) although it also means late-night calls (another boo).
Don’t worry, I corrected the grammar and made you seem really funny 😉
What’s your hidden talent?
It’s not exactly a talent as such, but my tech journalism speciality is hi-fi (shameless plug: I edit Australian Hi-Fi magazine) and I’ve got a pretty good ear. Swap a cable in a system and I’d hear the difference. Probably.
Love it!
Anything else should we know about you?
I love horror movies – always have, always will. I even wrote my uni dissertation on them. If you haven’t seen Evil Dead, Suspiria or Red, White and Blue, don’t be a scaredy cat – right those wrongs on a rainy day.
Fab, I watch horror movies with my best mate, so I’ll put those on the list.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Have a good work/life balance, because no-one ever looks back and wishes they’d worked more.”
True that.
Thanks Becky, and we look forward to seeing you on a podium soon! And at an Ironman 70.3!
