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Challenge Vietnam will run alongside Nha Trang’s six kilometre stretch of coastline with its white sandy beaches, clear waters and an abundance of marine life, verdant mountain ranges at each end, as well as an archipelago of 19 untouched islands just a short boat ride away.

The region – situated on the country’s south-eastern coast and an hour flight from the major Ho Chi Minch City – also offers host of sightseeing and recreational activities with the town itself full of breath-taking architecture dating back to the ancient Champa Kingdom, Buddhist temples as well as natural hot springs, salt fields and majestic waterfalls.

The race will begin with a 1.9km swim in the tropical waters of the beautiful beaches of Nha Trang City, followed by a 90km bike ride, which takes athletes to see the sights and sounds of Nha Trang City. The race culminates with a 21km run along Nha Trang City’s coastline strip

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For further information, visit www.challengevietnam.com

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None of us could’ve expected that Bailey would make such an impact – but at the same time – what everybody saw on that Saturday in July at the Castle Howard tri was nothing that his family hadn’t seen before. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all become desensitised to his indomitable spirit and ability to overcome.

It’s also fair to say that he hasn’t achieved any of this alone; there are many people who have played a huge part in creating the enigma that is Bailey Matthews!

Starting with his parents Jono and Julie; they never wrapped him in cotton wool and have always encouraged him to overcome his disability. There were times when he was very small, he had bruises on his face, lumps, cuts and bumps on his head because he was allowed to live a ‘normal life’. As a result, Julie would worry about what school and medical professionals who came into contact with him might think – but neither parent has sought to curtail his determination to have a go at anything and everything. They encouraged him to do whatever his older brother did; swimming, indoor climbing, gymnastics ­ you name it, he’s done it.

parkrun participation

Another group who played a big part in his development as an athlete have been the Clumber Park parkrun team. They embraced Bailey’s participation at the run and made him feel as though he was as good as any other participant – even before he started doing it ‘independently’.

When he first started doing the parkrun, Jono and I would take turns pushing him around in a mobility pushchair (a big baby jogger). It wasn’t long before he said that he wanted to ‘do it himself’ – and he did. The walker had tiny, three-inch diameter wheels for ordinary terrain; he walked a bit and did some in the pushchair on the tough parkrun mixed terrain.

 The very next week, Jono found an engineering company who modified the walker and fitted new chunky, all-terrain wheels. That week he did the run alone under his own steam. At the end of the lap – long after everybody else had finished – many people stayed behind and formed a tunnel, giving him the Mexican wave, a massive round of applause and the look on his face was priceless. Everybody present had a lump in their throat and a tear in their eye.

Whenever I walked around the course with him, you couldn’t help but be humbled. The fact that every runner that passed him shouted encouragement gave him a high-five or ruffled his hair – that sort of attention and camaraderie is something I wished every youngster could experience in sport.

No easy option

Bailey was in tears when Jono and I left for the 2014 London Triathlon. I recall Jono telling me on the journey that Bailey said he wanted to do a triathlon and that he had ordered him a wetsuit. Jono also that he would need to get in the water with Bailey and the Castle Howard team were very accommodating. I expected that when it came to it, they’d turn around and say ‘the rules won’t allow it’ or ‘our insurers won’t cover us for his participation’ or ‘health and safety’ – but, no, Jono entered Bailey for the Castle Howard event and Bailey started his training. It’d have been so easy for them to rely on one of the aforementioned excuses, to take the easy option. Far from it, they were not only amenable; they went out of their way to make it happen.

Bailey was excited and committed; he went open-water swimming, his dad got him a little indoor spin bike and he continued to do the parkrun. But I still expected that, when it came to it, someone would pull the plug and he wouldn’t be allowed to participate.

Bailey’s character and indomitable spirit means he knows he isn’t going to finish in first place and he’s likely to be last – but he enjoys it anyway. Something I wish I had – an ability to participate for the love of it! All too often we put barriers up because we’re scared of how we will perform; that we’ll not perform to standards that we are able to meet or exceed. But then you look at Bailey and realise that if he does it, why don’t we do it?

He’s an inspiration – and he doesn’t realise it. To him it’s just ‘a bit of fun’ – but he is still competitive!

Of course I’ve seen Bailey complain that he has a blister or a sore hand (from holding his walker) – but what I’ve never seen is him complain because he isn’t able-bodied. I don’t think Bailey sees himself as disabled or incapable (partly because his mum, dad and others – the parkrun crew or the Castle Howard team – have always made it possible for him to do whatever he wants).

I think Bailey sees his disability the way that able-bodied people see their limitations; he may not be as quick as others – but it doesn’t mean he can’t do it, it just means he’s limited as to how good he can be. If nobody else, he can compete against himself and do that because he enjoys it. That’s how Bailey sees his Cerebral Palsy.

He’s an incredible little lad, as his dad has said, he’s an author, a singer/songwriter, computer expert, an entrepreneur and a quasi-lawyer. He’s easily inspired, incredibly enthusiastic about whatever he does, has incredible self-confidence and absolute determination.

Tri impact

The attention and the accolades that he’s received are unexpected but thoroughly deserved. I just hope he continues to make this impact on triathlon and the world of sport. I know that he is determined to do all of the Castle Triathlon series next year and the team have been absolutely fabulous with him.

One person who has perhaps been overlooked for their part on that day was the compere. If you watch the clip captured by his other uncle; those words really built-up that finish – and I always find myself coming back to them, ‘see what happens when we all come together’.

That really sums it up; it’s taken a lot of people to make that happen: his mum and dad, Redlands School in Worksop, the Movement Centre who have treated Bailey, the parkrun crew who gave him his first taste of organised sport and the Castle Triathlon team who made it possible for him to do a ‘real’ multi-sport event.

I’m convinced Bailey will continue to ‘push it’ each time he’s out there and that he will become increasingly independent – expect to see him abandoning the walker more often – or pushing away a helping hand from dad!

Despite all the attention, Bailey hasn’t changed at all. Im sure he will continue to be a cheerful, confident and cheeky little chap. Bailey doesn’t realise the attention he’s had and the magnitude of these awards and accolades. I remember after Pride of Britain – I spoke to him on the phone, all he wanted to do was talk about a new computer that one of his fellow Pride of Britain award winners had sent him. I suspect that one day, he will look back on it and find it difficult to believe just how big it all was – but for now, it’s just another day meeting new people.

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I feel privileged to be Bailey’s uncle – he’s an inspiration to me and I just hope that he continues to be as determined, as cheerful, as confident and as able as he is!

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Adam Walker did exactly that, and eventually his accomplishments in swimming allowed him to turn his passion into a career as a swim coach and motivational speaker, with his own coaching website oceanwalkeruk.com to promote the teaching of the Ocean Walker front crawl technique.

How the Ocean Walker swim stroke can benefit triathletes

From his humble beginnings as a toaster salesman, Adam went on to become the first Brit to swim from Spain to Morocco and back (a feat only nine people have ever accomplished). Not only this, but Adam had ‘no choice’ but to break the British record for a single crossing on the return swim before the tides and the weather got the best of him. He has also swam the Oceans 7 channel swimming challenge, the swimming equivalent to the seven summits in mountaineering, and a new book charting his epic adventures is now on sale. 

As a youngster, Adam suffered numerous injuries that hampered a potential cricket career and other sporting opportunities:

“It’s a similar story to most sportsmen who suffer injuries at a young age. By the time I got to my twenties I thought I was too old to make it anywhere in sport because you need to do it as a teenager.

“I felt I was capable of doing something, but didn’t know what it was. I watched a movie of a man swimming the English Channel on a plane and was inspired. I thought: well the two things I was bad at in my swimming days were front crawl and long distance. I was a backstroke sprinter before, so I made it my aim to master something I never got the hang of before.”

Adam’s rise from salesman to one of the most accomplished open-water swimmers around was immortalised by a peculiar scenario that would eventually end up on TV screens. While swimming in New Zealand for his dolphin conservation charity, Adam was joined on his journey by some unfamiliar company that may have saved his life. Footage went viral and has been seen over 5 million times on YouTube.

The video of Adam swimming in the Cook Strait, which has been viewed millions of times. 

“A couple of dolphins appeared, I had a shark underneath me but they stayed with me for an hour and a half, pretty much saving my life. This then led to a documentary on dolphin intelligence that I’ve hosted this year. It’s amazing what materialised from this strange sequence of events in the end!”

The sheer distances Adam covers led us to wander how he fuels his mammoth swims. His reply wasn’t quite what we expected:

“By the time I got to New Zealand, the one thing that always settled my stomach and I found really beneficial was homemade soup; so I was getting my carbs mostly from vegatables and natural foods. Obviously that’s not as many carbs as you’d get in specific energy products, but because it’s all natural and good for my system I didn’t get any acid reflux issues that could have done more harm than good.”

Throughout his ocean adventures, Adam has been an ambassador for swimming brand Zoggs, and talked us through their new Predator Range:

“The new Predator swim shorts are fantastically comfortable and durable, the last thing you need when you’re swimming for 17 hours straight is poor quality kit so they’ve been brilliant for me so far.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of the Zoggs Predator goggles; they’re very soft and well-fitting, and I’m excited for the smoke lenses to come out in January to help with really sunny swims!” 

After so many accomplishments, Adam told us he’s not quite done yet, and still has some tricks up his sleeve for the future:

 “I’ve now started hosting long-distance swimming events, so I’m really enjoying giving back to others and helping them achieve their goals. 

After achieving most of the things I wanted to personally, I’m now more focused on promoting the sport of swimming by coaching and teaching the Ocean Walker swimming technique, which has led to many of my swimmers achieving PB’s and preventing shoulder injuries. I’m also committed to raising awareness of my dolphin conservation charity, something very dear to my heart.

“I’m not sure if there will be another ocean challenge because once you’ve swam the seven toughest, there’s nothing to really top it! But I do have a challenge planned, it’s a bit up in the air at the moment and I can’t reveal what it is, but watch this space in the new year!”

Adam Walker’s book ‘Man VS Ocean’ is now available to buy here. You can also visit the Ocean Walker website to find out more about the Ocean Walker front crawl swimming technique, and Adam’s website to find out more about his latest challenges and events. 

The Zoggs Predator swimwear range launches in January 2016 and will be available exclusively at Wiggle. The launch is being supported by open water swimmers and triathletes who have tried and tested the Predator range.

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From January 2016 further information and product details will be available at www.wiggle.co.uk/zoggs

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It’s time for you to let us know, as round one of polling for the 220 Triathlon Awards 2016 is now open. You can choose any athlete, race or product you like – plus this year every voter will be entered into a draw to win an Altium i10 specialist performance device, worth £499.

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Click here now to cast your vote!

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Only 100 places are up for grabs to join Gordon and Tana on the 1.2-mile open water swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run in the Shugborough Country Estate on 12 June 2016.

Each place costs £1,200 and members of the team will have to commit to raising at least £2,500 for the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation, which recently launched a new partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. Funds raised by the Foundation will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and will help the hospital to provide world-class care for young patients and their families.

Members of the GTR100 will receive:

1. The opportunity to be receive training advice from Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Richard Varga and Frederik Van Lierde as well as coaching from Olympic swimmer Cassie Patten.

2. Limited edition GTR100-branded training kit, including a Huub Archimedes or Atana wetsuit.

3. Musculoskeletal screening with Team GB Athletics physiotherapists

4. Full hospitality from Gordon Ramsay’s team at the post-race reception

5. A host of further benefits, including a welcome evening with Gordon and Tana Ramsay, over £1,000 of kit, access to expert training plans and discounts at leading sport retailers

To secure one of the limited places on the GTR100 register today via the link here.

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Would you be keen to race as part of Gordon Ramsay’s team? Let us know on the forum here.

Kicking-off at Chepstow diving centre on 8 May 2016, the triSUP Series is a five-date affair from Martin Barden, the founder of UK Cycling Events, the largest cycling event organiser in Europe.

Each event will have two triSUP levels of Short and Standard, with Short event starting with a 1.5km paddle board leg before a 15km off-road or 25km road bike leg, and a 3kmrun to finish. Standard will involve a 3km SUP, 25km MTB or 40km road bike and 5km run.

Relay, group options on 4-8 person boards, SUP/bike and SUP/run events will also be offered, with draws including a £10 paddle board hire, a £35-50 race charge and flexible starting times for the staggered-start races. The organisers expect finish times to range from 3-4hrs.

The dates are…

The Dragon, Chepstow Diving Centre, 8 May 2016

The Pioneer, Studland, 18 June 2016

The Saxon, Cotswold Water Park, 2 July 2016

The Phoenix, Bewl Valley, 11 Sept 2016

The Centurion, Grafham Water, 1 Oct 2016

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Head to trisupevents.co.uk for more info on the series.

Other highlights in this month’s issue include:

Step up to Ironman with Joe Skipper: exclusive interview with British Kona pro Joe Skipper, plus top long-distance tips from the man himself

Joe Skipper reveals his go-to sessions to help you beast the Ironman bike leg

Gear focus: Aerobars We look at one of the biggest opinion dividers in the cycling community

Performance Change the pace up in the pool, go high gear/low cadence on the bike and off-road running to boost form

Competition: This month win an amazing prize package from Huub, including a top end wetsuit, tri-suit and goggles.

Test centre Simply the most comprehensive triathlon review resource available: race wheels, pool goggles and sports bras grouptests; Ridley Chronus an Eastway Emitter R4 bike reviews; all the latest tri gear tested

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Find 220 Triathlon on sale at newsagents across the UK, and the digital edition can be picked up via the iTunes store, Google Play and Zinio.

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Previously all solo Tribal challenges have been para-only events; however the new triathlon gives friends, families and supporters of the series the chance to be part of the day and help raise funds for Tribal, with all entry fees going directly towards the running of their various para events.

The Tribal Friends Tri, a 400m swim, 20k bike and 5k run, will be followed by Tribal Series Para Swim, which offers a range of solo swims and relays, and Tribal Series Para Run/Push (fun runs/wheelchair races), with challenges ranging from 100m to 10k.

Paralympian and Tribal Series founder Sophia Warner commented: “We’ve created a very strong community around our events and many of our participants’ friends and families have been asking how they can support our series.

“Everyone was inspired by BBC Sports Personality winner Bailey Matthews, and our first event last August saw hundreds of people with the same guts and determination take on and achieve huge personal goals. Everyone who takes part in this triathlon will be helping Tribal Series to provide more and more people with disabilities access to life-changing challenges.”

There are four Tribal events planned for the Paralympic year of 2016, with full details available on the website. Ambassador and six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir and five-time Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Christiansen both participated in the first Tribal event in August and will be among those cheering on participants on 15 May.

Sophie added: “Being a Paralympic year, this is a hugely exciting time for disability sport and this series gives all those inspired by the Games very important motivational goals to work towards. The Tribal Family Tri is a great way to involve friends and families who have disabled loved ones and anyone who feels passionately about making sport accessible to all.”

You can find out more about the Tribal Series and how you can support the movement here.

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Don’t forget to claim your 10% discount off the Tribal Friends Tri, a 400m swim/20km bike/5km run event taking place at Dorney Lake, Windsor on 15th May 2016. Just follow the link here, and don’t forget to enter the code 220TriathlonTFT10 to claim your 10% discount!

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