British Triathlon’s Helen Marney believes that the Paris 2024 Olympics can kickstart a swim, bike, run legacy for the ages.
Triathlon has seen an incredible rise in support thanks to the likes of Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee’s historic exploits over the past decade but Director of Development, Marney, noted that there’s still more to be done as she aims to open the sport up to a wealth of Brits this summer.
British Triathlon will be providing free ‘Paris Inspired’ activities throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games and for the rest of the summer to help develop active communities through participation in swim, bike, run.
“We have close to 100 free activities in place which run from single sports events like open water swimming all the way to mini triathlons and our Swim Bike Run programmes,” she said.
“We have provided a bursary across 40 clubs to enable this, and we hope this can grow as the Olympics and Paralympics go on to give people the chance to see what the sport looks like and have a go in their local community.
“Swim, bike, run and triathlon needs to be in more places. Not just hinged on an event or a club, but to become what you see in everyday life and then that word ‘triathlon’ is not so scary.
“We needed that diverse range of settings to get people involved as some people would never have had that chance before and we now have that option to just come down, try the sport out, and just be part of the social or recreational part of a club as a family.
“And from that first opportunity, it’s important that there is something for them to go onto after and continue the sport in an ongoing basis to create that legacy within their community.”
British Triathlon’s ‘Paris Inspired’ programme will see a range of activities on offer over the next few months, including family-friendly Swim Bike Run Mini which bring together two or three of triathlon’s disciplines in an event setting or Swim Bike Run Develop coached sessions to build confidence in the singular disciplines.
With Alex Yee and Sam Dickinson kicking off Paris 2024 triathlon action on Tuesday 30 July, Marney is confident that British Triathlon has never been so prepared as they aim to inspire a new wave of triathlon enthusiasts.
“What’s unique about our sport at the Olympics and Paralympics is that we’re a very successful nation and we’re good at it,” she said.
“That gives the sport an even greater opportunity to then jump on that success and continue to inspire people after the Games.
“It is a once in a four-year opportunity to reach a massive audience that we don’t get to speak to ordinarily and for triathlon that’s really important.
“A lot of people don’t even know what triathlon is which is why we now say ‘swim, bike, run’ and create that narrative to break down barriers and perceptions as to what the sport might be in people’s heads.
“We never had the depth and breadth of programmes that we do now and so this is the first time I think that we have been genuinely ready to inspire new people. We stand ready having done all of the research.”
The inspired to inspiration pathway has already been documented in triathlon, with two-time Olympic medallist Alex Yee watching on as the Brownlee brothers stormed onto the podium at London 2012 and now carrying the mantle as he chases gold at Paris 2024.
But Marney noted how British Triathlon’s work is to further diversify the sport and demystify the fear of the word ‘triathlon’ to encourage more people to take up the triad of sports.
Marney is pleased to note that British Triathlon has already clocked impressive numbers in their Swim Bike Run programmes but revealed that it’s now time to take hold of the Paris 2024 Olympic spirit and use it as the foundation of a long-lasting legacy for British Triathlon.
“We stand on a precipice every four years with the opportunity to inspire a new range of people into triathlon,” she added.
“We have one chance to do this. One chance to see it, inspire and tell people to give it a go.
“People can get these opportunities with us through the Olympics but then in the months afterwards there will be even more chances.
“We want to use the Olympics as a kick-starter, not as a point in time.”
Triathlon England is supporting clubs and organisers to deliver free events and activities through the Paris Inspired campaign to give more people the opportunity to try swim, bike, run https://www.britishtriathlon.org/the-games/paris-inspired