Tri-Sport Epping

  BRIAN DALEY MBE                            

Many of our current club members will not know who Brian Daley MBE is, but if it wasn’t for Brian Tri Sport Epping simply would not exist.    

Brian worked in sport after leaving the Army in the early 1980’s and being a keen sportsman he became enthused by Triathlon as it took off in this country.  He competed in many of the early events travelling the length and width of the country to do so.   

 It was Brians idea to start up a triathlon club in Epping which he did with the help of others that he enlisted in 1987.  A brilliant organiser of people, Brian had great vision and knew how to bring everything required together to form a triathlon club and run multi-sport events.   

When he moved away in 1992 it was a big loss to Tri Sport Epping, as founder member Brian was the first person to be given honorary membership so that he could retain links with the club.

  KEVIN PARTRIDGE                         

No single person has done more for Tri Sport Epping than Kevin Partridge.  Having joined the club in 1988 Kevin was soon winning events both locally and nationally.  He became the Club Captain and started coaching to pass on his experience to others.  21 years on Kevin coaches around 4 sessions a week and has attained BTF Level 2 although his knowledge reaches far beyond that of most Level 3 coaches.

Kevin was awarded honorary membership of Tri Sport Epping in 2002 for services to the club and is now the club’s Vice-President, he works industriously behind the scenes at all club events.

Still a fearsome competitor Kevin has represented Great Britain many times and won several National Age Group Championships.  In 2005 he won the World Age Group Aquathlon Championship in Hawaii USA.

Kevin can always be seen racing in the club’s colours and is held in the utmost esteem by all at the club. 

GWEN AVENT                                  

Gwen Avent is a founder member of Tri Sport Epping having joined the club in 1987.   Inspired by a magazine article she read about triathlon icon Patrick Barnes and gently coaxed by Brian Daley, whose circuit classes she attended, Gwen participated in Tri Sport Epping’s first ever triathlon event in November 1987. She became the Women’s Club Captain and was a regular racer completing 16 triathlons in 18 weeks; however an open water phobia meant all of these were pool swims!  Injury forced her to retire from racing in 1992,  but rather than leaving the sport she decided she wanted to concentrate on the running of the club and took on the role of Treasurer.  Since then she has held just about every committee post (and more than one on some occasions), she is the main organiser of the club’s yearly showpiece event the ‘Try a Tri’ and has been since it was first held in 1990.  She turns up at almost every club event and oversees the Lakeside open water swim session; registering swimmers and undertaking the safety count.  Her wealth of experience is so valuable to the club behind the scenes and it would be hard to imagine Tri Sport Epping without Gwen.  In 2002 Gwen was presented with honorary membership of Tri Sport Epping and in 2004 she received further recognition from both the club and The British Triathlon Association; she was made President of TSE and was deservedly voted ‘Eastern Region Volunteer of the Year’ in recognition of the work she has carried out.    Gwen Avent is passionate about Tri Sport Epping and has always made sure that the original essence of the club has never been lost as time has passed by.

Any ladies looking for a triathlon role model need to look no further than Tri Sport Epping’s Wendy Read.  Having joined the club in 1993 and rising to the challenge of multi-sport competition she took part in a club race that year.  By 1996 she had won a medal at the National Duathlon Age Group Championship and qualified and raced in the World Triathlon Age Group Championship in Cleveland Ohio. Since then Wendy has been a regular World Triathlon Championship representative for Tri Sport Epping racing in 1996, 98, 01, 02, 04, 05, 07 & 2008.  She has qualified for the World Duathlon Championship 7 times and in 2004 she won an age group gold medal at the European Duathlon Championship.    In 2005 Wendy came face to face with her biggest ever challenge battling against a serious illness that would have stopped most triathletes in their tracks , but she was determined to continue training as much as she could during her treatment and amazingly made the start line at the World Triathlon Championship in Hawaii.  Wendy has also represented Tri Sport Epping at many National events including the National Club Relay Championship and there is no sign of any let up as she plans to continue racing forever!    On the surface she is diminutive, polite and always smiling, but underneath she is tough, gritty and competitive and never gives up.  If you turn up at an event and Wendy is there you can be sure you are in for a hard race!

Much missed and never to be forgotten Jenny Clark was a bubbly character who loved a good laugh and was great to be around.  Originally getting into triathlon as part of ‘The Spinney Shifters’ running group, she competed in a few triathlons even though she was asthmatic.  However, her real devotion to triathlon and Tri Sport Epping came as a committee member where she worked tirelessly as Secretary from 1992 – 1996 and then as Treasurer from 1997 – 2002 until ill health forced her to step down.  During this time she also undertook event organisation, received all event postal entries and did timekeeping at club events.  Jenny, husband Roger (who became interested in triathlon through Jenny) and son Lewis, were enthusiastic participants of Tri Sport’s social events, attending the Easter Training Camps, Winter skiing trips and Ivan Newman’s cycling excursions into Europe. 

DEAN SPARROW

It was a drunken bet with work colleagues that got Dean Sparrow involved in Triathlon.  His first attempt at The London Triathlon in 1998 raised money for charity and lost him nearly two stone training for the event!  Dean joined Tri Sport Epping in 2000 looking for training partners as he contemplated his first Ironman distance race which he completed successfully that year at The Longest Day event in Wolverhampton.  In 2002 he represented Great Britain at the Long Distance World Championship in Denmark, again at the Ironman distance.  By now Dean’s children were also competing and Dean became a Level 1 BTF Coach so that he could assist with Tri Sport Epping’s children’s section.  He then went on to become Youth Development Officer for 2 years and qualified as a level 2 Triathlon Coach.

There was no let up in competition either as Dean enjoyed racing at all distances; in 2005 he won a National Bronze medal in The Club Relay Championship and had success at age group level in many races.

In 2007 Dean became Tri Sport Epping’s Head Coach overseeing the club’s programme and co-ordinating the coaching staff, he puts in a huge amount of work in this area.  Dean gains immense pleasure from helping other triathletes improve and reach their goals, he plans to further his own coaching qualifications to focus on the performance aspects.  He also intends to compete for Great Britain at Age Group level  again now that he is recovering from a knee operation.

Dean has a genuine love for the sport and his contribution to Tri Sport Epping has been and still is immeasurable and his current role is of huge importance to all of the club’s members.

 KEITH WALKER

A serious injury to former footballer and runner Keith Walker forced a lay off which directed him towards Triathlon.  Keith began swimming at Gloucester Park Pool as part of his recuperation and this is where he met up with Wendy Read and Nigel Burvill who encouraged him to join Tri Sport Epping.   He found the club’s Duathlon events very appealing, especially as he was not a strong swimmer.  Keith joined TSE in 1996 and entered the tough Toot Hill Series that winter.  Keith’s first real multi-sport achievement  was to qualify for the World Duathlon Championship in Gernika, Spain in 1997 and since then he has gone on to represent Great Britain at age group level  in 10 World and 4 European Duathlon Championships with a best placed finish of 4^th; he also has 2 Bronze medals from National Duathlon Championships.  With persistence and guidance from the club’s coaches the swimming gradually improved and Keith qualified for the World Triathlon Championship in Cancun, Mexico in 2002; Keith’s Daughter Elaine also qualified and they were able to make the trip together.  This was the start of a run of World Triathlon Championship qualifications that has seen Keith qualify for every one since 2002!  In 2007 Keith completed his first Half Ironman and in 2009 went the whole way completing an Ironman distance event that saw him finish 3^rd O/60 in the European Ironman Championships.

Keith is one of Tri Sport Epping’s big characters, he firmly supports the club and turns out at all events and functions either as a competitor, or as a marshal.  In 2009 he organised the club’s transition-less triathlon and intends to continue this event into the future.  His own personal goals are to continue staying fit by training and racing at the highest level possible with Beijing 2011 an added incentive.