Ironman Action

Bahrain Triathlon Club is proud to announce Gillian Sanders as one of its professional ambassadors. She will be based in Bahrain for a training week over Eid and will participate in Challenge Bahrain.

Gill is a South African now based in London, and has successfully competed in the London Olympics in 2012 and more recently the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she won a silver medal.

This week the Ironman Action column puts the spotlight on Gill and reveals how she was introduced to triathlons, focuses on her trips and races and what her goals are for Challenge Bahrain - during which she will be wearing the Bahrain Triathlon Club’s colours!

How I got into triathlons

I partook in every sport I could possibly get my hands on as a child. I loved the outdoors and grew up in a very sporty family. My parents were both athletes and encouraged me and my sister to be active.

The city of Pietermaritzburg where we grew up had excellent programmes within the schools encouraging participation in sport and healthy, active living.

The weather in South Africa is also very conducive to being outside and being active. I was a very keen runner and swimmer and these were the two sports I excelled at as a child. My dad did triathlons and my sister and I made a ‘natural’ progression into triathlons, wanting to be like dad, of course!

Good/best races

The Olympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games relay have to be my two best races. The Olympic Games because they are the Olympic Games and there is no bigger sporting spectacle on earth.
 
London was incredible. The crowds, support and atmosphere were huge and it was like one massive wall of noise around the whole course. I was blessed, living in London, to have so many close family and friends out supporting me on the day. I get goosebumps thinking back over the whole experience, it was incredible.

The Commonwealth Games team relay this year was also awesome. It was my first Commonwealth Games and my first major games medal. 

Every athlete dreams of winning a major games medal in their career and we managed just that. It was also the first time the relay had been at a major games and we got to showcase just how exciting it is.

The feedback from people afterwards was crazy, they loved it even more than the individual event, which was awesome. I was exceptionally happy and emotional to have come away with such a special silver medal.

My favourite races otherwise seem to be the World Triathlon Series in Yokohama. I love racing in Japan. The people are so friendly, cities immaculate and food fantastic.

Bad races: I had a lot of bad luck in 2013. One of my worst races probably has to be in San Diego last year at the World Series. My wheel came off 150m out of the first transition! I couldn’t get it on and the race was over. It’s not particularly funny travelling half way across the world for a race to finish like that.

I also crashed in Stockholm last year, fracturing ribs as well as got a rib fractured in the swim in Hamburg last year. 2013 had a ‘13’ in it for a reason!

Funniest moments

In Japan with a few Aussie friends, in trying to keep with the local culture and being polite, got their words a bit scrambled. Every time they meant to say ‘Arigato’ (meaning thank you) they would say ‘Konichiwa’ (hello). This was hilarious as every time they left a shop they were actually saying ‘Hello’ instead of thank you and the poor shopkeepers would just politely, and a bit puzzled, say ‘Hello’ back!

Best & Worst Hotels

Worst first: The Hotel Civis Phonix in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary. Deep in Eastern Europe in a little town that manufactures chemicals ... once a year the triathlon comes around and once a year the Hotel Phonix gets used. Rumour has it that it hasn’t changed in 17 years (this is how long the race has been going).

Best: I stayed in a beautiful brand new hotel in Stockholm this year called the Miss Clara by Nobis. In true Swedish-style the decor/furnishing was amazing. The building used to be a girls school and Miss Clara was the last headmistress. The staircases and floors and everything else were really, really cool. Every hotel I’ve stayed in in Stockholm has been fabulous ... that Scandinavian furniture/decor thing is true!

Flights

All blend into each other after a while. I’m so used to flying but I still love it for some weird reason. I’m one of those who doesn’t mind airports and planes. I think I’m a little adventurer at heart.  Sometimes you get lucky with four empty seats, sometimes not … but I’ve grown used to sleeping on planes and that’s what I now try and do ... not many movies, just sleep! BA is the best airline for flying with bikes, in my opinion. Virgin, next best.

Nutrition

Eat healthy and balanced. No fads. Lots of fruit and veg. Carb-wise, potatoes/sweet potatoes/rice/quinoa/whole wheat pasta over white pasta/bread. My sister is a dietician and an athlete and I follow her advice. Keep it simple, I think a lot of athletes have complicated things.

Mentor

My coach James Beckinsale and husband Mark Sanders. James has been coaching me since 2009. I came from a triathlon background when I met him but he fine-tuned me into the athlete I am with his technical expertise in everything – swim, bike and run.

I didn’t realise technical stuff made such a big difference as I’d never really been exposed to it. He’s a great motivator, is ex-army and therefore doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone. 

Mark just keeps me normal and sane. I’m very lucky to have such a strong, kind and supportive person in my life. He has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and is always the one person who believes in me when things get tough.

Goals for Challenge Bahrain

Well, this will be only my third half iron distance race. I’ve loved the other ones I’ve done.

The intensity is not as high as the shorter distance ITU races and there is a different type of pain involved.

ITU girls who have moved to this distance have always featured very strongly and I feel quite comfortable doing a different type of race to Olympic distance ITU.
 
I love racing in the heat and riding a time trial bike is always loads of fun.

The Bahrain course looks pretty epic and seems like it will showcase Bahrain beautifully.

I’m especially excited to swim in a lovely warm sea for a change as well as going on the F1 circuit, that will be great fun. The field is stacked with the world’s top athletes and I’ll be out there in my Bahrain Tri Club colours giving it my all and hopefully this means a decent result! I am grateful to Bahrain Triathlon Club for offering me the opportunity to become their ambassador for the 2014/2015 season.

* Bahrain Triathlon Club is grateful to its sponsors for the 2014/2015 season: Reza Hygiene, Apache Capital, McLaren Group, Trowers & Hamlins, Propel Consult and InTouch Clinic.

For more information on the Bahrain Triathlon Club email bahraintriathlon@gmail.com or visit www.bahraintri.com

For more information on Challenge Bahrain visit www.challenge-bahrain.com.bh