Local triathlete qualifies for African Triathlon Continental Championships

Mayberry Park’s visually impaired triathlete Gavin Kilpatrick and his pilot David Taylor have been selected to represent the country at the African Triathlon Continental Championships.

They recently took part in the South African Triathlon Championships that took place on March 19 in Nelson Mandela Bay where they again came out on top. The SA Triathlon Championships, which saw a great turnout, made them eligible to compete at the African Championships to be held in Egypt later this year.

They will be joined by Jefferson Murdock together with Heinrich Vermaak, a visually impaired triathlete from Brackenhurst.

“We recently completed in a triathlon event which was a 750m swim, 20km cycle and a 5km run. By competing there we’re now eligible to race in Egypt though it is all dependent on whether we can find sponsorship to pay for us to go. We had to meet certain qualifying criteria, the level and the standard is improving quite a lot,” explained Gavin.

However, he said the Commonwealth Games were the highlight of his triathlon career and that he has decided to not chase the glory of championships but to get more people into the sport.

“I’m changing my focus towards encouraging more people with or without disabilities to participate in triathlon. I wish to also stress that without the help of our guides, we’re not able to participate in these events. We are thankful to Tyla van der Spuy, a biokineticist for looking after our aches, and with treatments, and Panda Sportswear for providing our suits,” he said.

He appealed for donations towards their trip which will help greatly in covering their costs.

To make any donations, contact Gavin on 072 212 2058.