Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Yiannis and aquathlon are the perfect match
Athletics
Competing in any extreme sport is the marriage of mind and body in a bid to overcome adversity.
However, for one Canterbury man, matrimony is the very reason why he is now an aquathlete for Team GB.
Yiannis Christodoulou, 32, only took up aquathlon the day after touching down from his honeymoon last July, having found training for triathlons increasingly difficult due to preparing for his wedding.
His rise in the sport has been just as surprising as it has been quick.
The Canterbury Harriers athlete said: “I didn’t really know anything about aquathlons but decided to try one after my honeymoon. I was pretty jet-lagged but I did quite well.
“After a couple of races which I placed high in, I then aimed for the GB squad but it was still quite a shock when I got accepted. I never thought it would happen to me.”
Now, the marketing information technician at the Kent Community Health Foundation Trust will be representing Team GB at the ETU Aquathlon European Championships in Châteauroux, France this weekend.
He will go into the race on the back of a strong performance at the Columbia Threadneed World Triathlon Series event in Leeds on June 11. He placed 23rd overall and third in his age category.
“I am going to train the best I can for this and just want to enjoy the whole experience. At first I just wanted to enjoy it but the more training I do, the more confident I get.
“I am hoping for the top-10 in my age group. Looking at last year’s results, compared to now, I feel like I am in the best shape of my life.”
Christodoulou will also be keeping one eye on the road ahead from Châteauroux. In September, he will be heading to the World Championships in Cozumel, Mexico.
But the Zika virus that is currently affecting most of South America had been a concern for him and his wife Melanie.
“I am probably being a bit ambitious but I will aim for the top-10 there. Hopefully, I will be in better shape after the Euros.
“Me and my wife swayed towards going because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
First, however, Christodoulou will be hoping he will be able to celebrate both his wedding and aquathlon anniversaries with a strong showing in France.
Canterbury Harriers’ in-form female vet-35 Nicola Charlton defied cramp to be the leading woman in the Ashford Pod Plus 10k on Friday after clocking 42minutes 15seconds.
Fellow Harrier Fiona Tester was third female in 44.38 while Ian Stokes claimed the male vet-50 prize after running the same time as Charlton.
‘I got accepted. I never thought it would happen to me’