Kenya's Triathlon Team Out to Leave a Mark in Birmingham Commonwealth Games
Nairobi — Ahead of its debut at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in United Kingdom, Team Kenya for the triathlon has hit the ground running with head coach Camila Lydia looking to leave a mark at the games slated for July 28-August 8.
John Paul and Joseph Okal, who have been in camp under the tutelage of Lydia, will be joined by Aisha Nasser Baksh and Vivian Hillier who were included in the team after the women's Commonwealth Games trials held over the weekend in Kilifi.
"At first, one of my athletes (John Paul) from Mombasa had a problem with the altitude, but he has adapted well, and our training is going on smoothly. We are focussing on the techniques and the concentration is good because there are no distractions in camp," the coach said.
Paul, based in Mombasa, says the change in altitude was a huge challenge for him as he has always lived and trained at low altitude.
"I am from Mombasa, which is zero altitude, so when I came to Nairobi, the first week was bad. I struggled with breathing and almost got sick, but I'm glad that was contained and now I'm okay," Paul disclosed.
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances, with athletes competing for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included.
"I am trying to perfect all of them (swim, cycle, run) especially my cycling and running. My swim is good but there is always room for improvement. Since we have a track in Kasarani, that will help in my runs and we have a pool to work on swimming. We have a wonderful compound at Kasarani for cycling practice as well," he concluded.
On his part, Okal is happy to be in camp where he hopes to improve his skills all round.
"So far, the camp is good because we are focussing on training and nothing else. Wake up, train, eat, sleep and repeat! I am glad my friend and training partner John Paul is here pushing me hard to certain levels I wouldn't push myself to," said Okal.
As for the expectations in training and competition, he says "I am expecting to do my Personal Best and just do my country proud. Expect nothing but the best because I am looking at massive goals and hoping to achieve them. I'm perfecting my swim because when you come out of the water with the first batch of guys leading the race, it becomes an easier race and I currently feel like my swim is not at its best," Okal added.
It is the first major games for both athletes and the pressure of performing on the big stage is causing anxiety.
This article originally appeared in Capital FM
Photo: Capital FM