Copeland improving brick by brick
HAULING around bricks between training sessions is helping emerging triathlete Brandon Copeland form the building blocks of a promising career.
“My dad works at a construction company so I go and help him out in the warehouse when I’m not training,” Copeland said.
“I carry around scaffold and bricks. It’s not much fun but I have got to pay the bills somehow.
“It feels like a training session every now and then when he is cracking the whip.”
Coach Dan Atkins said two years ago Copeland wasn’t considered a national representative so it comes as no surprise that his 18 months working with his dad has coincided with his rapid rise through the ranks.
Copeland – now part of the Triathlon Australia development program – took his career to another new high on April 8 when he won the Australian under-23 series.
The 21-year-old Kingscliff resident finished third in the final race of the series at St Kilda to seal the title and claim the win ahead of Queenslanders Daniel Coleman and Luke Burns.
“It feels really good to lock it down,” Copeland said.
“It’s my first Australian series win and I’m really happy with it.”
Copeland won the series but he was left to rue his latest result after missing out on the automatic selection on offer to the winner for the 2018 world under-23 titles, to be held on the Gold Coast later this year.