Stone student Dan Bigham will be representing Team GB this weekend at the ETU European Duathlon championships in Holland – and has high hopes of returning with a medal.
Dan, 21, from Yarnfield, will be competing in the 20-24 age category with friend David Kirk after qualifying fastest in his age group in the UK for the event last month.
The duathlon sees athletes in Dan’s age group completing a 20km cycle leg and a 5km run.
Dan is studying motorsport engineering at Oxford Brookes University and is a former pupil at Springfield First School, Walton Middle, Alleyne’s High and Alleyne’s Sixth Form. He’scurrently on a year-long industrial placement with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team – but it will be his legs doing the motoring in Holland this weekend!
Dan said: “I am so excited to represent my country at an international event, it makes me extremely proud and I am very grateful for all the support. It is something that everyone dreams of doing when they start sport at a young age and I finally have the opportunity.
“I have had great support from my friends and family and particularly Stena Line Ferries and Oxford Brookes University Sport for supporting my trip. Both David and I are also grateful for all the opportunities that are being created, one of the most exciting is being invited to be tested at Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute at Loughborough.”
In the 2012 season Dan won the British University Super-Sprint Triathlon Championship as well as many other triathlons and duathlons, including in Reading, Shropshire and Blenheim Triathlon and also recently qualified for the European Triathlon Championships to be held at Alanya, Turkey, in June.
As well as duathletes from all over Europe, Dan will also be competing against his friend, David Kirk?
Dan said: “We both met competing against each other at the 2012 Oxford Brookes Vs Reading Varsity. Since then we have competed UK wide at many duathlons and triathlons, as well being key members of the Pedal East fund raising bike ride for Everest Million.”
You can find out more and track their progress at Dan and David’s website HERE.
