Web influencer who lifted spirits during lockdown
WITH great power comes great responsibility and Nikki Bartlett has relished spinning a web of joy around Loughborough in lockdown, writes Will Jennings, of Sportsbeat.
The para-triathlon guide has been dressing up as Spider-Man on her estate, running around surprising families and children to help lift spirits during the crisis.
Bartlett is a guide to Alison Peasgood, who soared to memorable victories in the 2018 Tartu ETU European Championships and the ITU World Series in Milan the following year.
But it is Peter Parker, not Peasgood, for Bartlett in lockdown, and the 33-year-old knows all about the importance of supporting the community.
“At the start of lockdown I tried to decide what I could do to help and give back,” said Bartlett, one of more than 1,100 athletes on UK Sport’s World Class Programme, funded by The National Lottery.
“We’d already posted letters to the elderly in our estate saying we were there to help, but one night in bed I couldn’t sleep, so just bought this Spider-Man costume.
“I thought about Mr Blobby, but Spider-Man was not that expensive, and everyone knows who Spider-Man is.
“We did our first run the day it came, and the reaction was just incredible – everyone had a smile on their face, so I decided this was what I was going to do in lockdown.
“I didn’t know where it was going to go or how people would react, but it went down really well – it’s something a bit different but it’s just about spreading joy to people.
“It’s definitely important to lift spirits, and mental health had a lot to do with why I started doing it in the first place – this cheered people up and also gave me a really positive impact.
“It makes me happy to see other people happy – there have been days where I’ve struggled, but as soon as I put that suit on, I was buzzing and came back in an amazing place.
“Knowing that you’ve made someone else feel like that makes every run worth it.”
The National Lottery’s support helps Bartlett and fellow para-triathletes access UK Sport’s World Class Programme, allowing them to train full-time, work with the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology.
The power of National Lottery funding has led to 864 Olympic and Paralympic medals for Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1997, with Bartlett and Peasgood now vying to add to that figure next year.
There is so much more to life than sport for Bartlett, however. She been raising money for cancer charity, Move, in lockdown by virtually cycling Mount Everest on a Zwift bike.
Bartlett raised £2,500 – with seven friends – by peddling all the way to the summit and reckons National Lottery funding can now help propel her to glory in Tokyo.
“Raising that money was definitely one of my best days in lockdown – and one of the best days of my life,” she said.
“It was very special, and it was about bringing the community together – which has always been one of my biggest goals.
“You can’t put into words how important The National Lottery’s support is – it’s fundamental to what we do and means that we can get on that start line and deliver the best result possible.
“It will be a massive honour to represent ParalympicsGB in Tokyo next year – and the target is definitely gold.”
No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise about £30 million each week for good causes.
• Discover the positive impact playing The National Lottery has at: lotterygoodcauses. org. uk/ stories/ trackto-tokyo