I got into triathlon in 2016 after watching a friend do the London Marathon – I was inspired to start running and that night entered a 10k race. It didn’t take long for this to grow in to doing 3 sports instead of 1 and I’ve now finished plenty of running, cycling, duathlon and triathlon events, with my personal highlight being the Alpe d-Huez triathlon, which was equally gruelling and amazing.

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As I now have a young family and my time is limited, I don’t take my training as seriously as I used to and so I focus on doing things I enjoy and having fun, rather than being too focussed on getting faster. AVTC is perfect for this, as it does have some amazingly fast athletes, but also has a great social and fun side too.

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Being on the committee is a great way of helping out the club and meeting new people - I was previously on the committee for 3 years in the social role, and now I’m happy to be back, this time as Chair.

Favourite Biscuit: Chocolate chip shortbread

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As a ‘lockdown runner’ I completed the London Marathon in 2021. It was an awesome day but I won’t be doing another any time soon! 

I joined AVTC in 2022 after doing a few social wild swims with friends and wanting to get back in the water more regularly. I hadn’t swum since I was a child so AVTC offered a great introduction and development back into the sport. My first session, I could barely finish two lengths without tiring and putting my feet down, now I can semi-comfortably swim for the full hour session. 

A year later, I purchased my first road bike, turning up clueless to the run-bike-run session, everyone was really friendly and patient as I Zig-Zagged across the path trying not to fall off! 

Now I have swim, bike, run under my belt, I really have no excuse not to do a race. 

March 2024 will be my first triathlon, after joining as a ‘social swimmer to keep fit’. 

I joined AVTC in 2021 after moving to the area and having previously done sprint triathlons! I found the club super friendly and inclusive.Like my role in the committee, I enjoy the social aspect of the sport - seeing friends in training, supporting on races and having a good natter on a bike ride! 

I particularly enjoy swimming and you’ll see my down at the lake in the summer months! I have done sprint triathlons before but would love to work up to doing an Olympic this year.I’ve enjoyed joining the committee this year as it’s a really good way to get to know others and feel involved in the club.

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Favourite biscuit: Any covered in chocolate!

Greetings fellow triathletes! I'm Ellie, one of your social media and social secretary's with a history in AVTC that goes back to 2014. While I'd dipped my toes into the world of triathlons before joining the club, it was here that my passion for the sport truly took off.

I've always been a swimmer, but over the years, I've gained confidence running and on my bike – not the speediest, but hey, it's about the journey, right? Being on committee I want to help others embrace their triathlon prowess and build that confidence. Sure, I might not be breaking any speed records, but catch me at the finish line for a post-race pint, ready to celebrate the triumphs of our incredible club! 

Favourite biscuit: Chocolate Chip Belvita biscuits!

I was talked into doing my first triathlon at Blenheim in 2018. I had about a month to train for it, did breaststroke in an old windsurfing wetsuit and the bike leg on an even older mountain bike. But I got a massive buzz from the variety and challenge, joined AVTC the week after, and then the Committee (for the first time) about a month after that where I looked after our social media and publicity for a few years.

I rejoined the Committee in 2024 and had the privilege of taking on the Charity role for the year. It was great fun thinking of new ways to raise money for Air Ambulances and if I'm being honest the competitive bit of me was pretty pleased when we raised more in 2024 than we had the year before. Organising our first Simon Chesher Memorial Ride was a real achievement in the year thanks to a lot of support from a great team. This year, I'm helping Ellie with Social & Events and based on our first planning session (with help from Jess) we're going to keep ourselves busy again!

I’ll never be the fastest at anything, but I love all the training sessions, group rides, parkrun trips and summer evenings at the lake with a great group of friends. And I've definitely seen some improvements from Blenheim 2018 thanks to our fantastic coaches who are as happy coaching beginners as they are coaching our GB age group athletes.

 
Favourite Biscuit: Any biscuit is a good biscuit, but stroopwafels are a very strong choice

I'm someone whose wild pipe-dream of a football career was left in tatters by an unnervingly fragile, tendon-lacking, and anxiety-inducing left knee.

But while the left knee failed me from a team sport’s perspective, running was (and is) a saving grace. It's a great solo sport, which you control (no one's there take you out with an ill-timed and ill-judged, knee-high two footed lunge.. intentionally anyway). 

Today, I live and breathe running. But running - just running - lone running that is - does have its limitations, socially and emotionally.

I needed a springboard to more solo sports. AVTC has given me that. Now I run, swim, condition, and spin too - all within the warm, social embrace of AVTC.

And while I’ve run parkruns, marathons, half-marathons galore, AVTC has inspired me to push the boat out and sign up to my first Triathlon within only several months of joining…

… and so maybe a decathlon will follow; maybe not.

Favourite Biscuit: Lotus Biscoff 

I joined AVTC in April 2018, 6 months after quitting smoking. My (particularly athletic) younger brother bet me that after 12 years of smoking and avoiding cardio there was no way I could complete a triathlon.

I have been a casual swimmer all my life and even competed in some races as a teenager, where I was forced to do backstroke as I couldn’t dive and didn’t like putting my face in the water. I had never owned or ridden a road bike and hadn’t so much as run for a bus since about the age of 12.

I joined the club to learn more about the sport and help me work out how I was supposed to put three sports together when I’d never even been good at one. I was instantly taken in by the energy of the club and how friendly and inclusive it was. Nobody cared that I wasn’t ‘sporty’ and that I couldn’t run very far or very fast, they just seemed genuinely happy to have me there and I had so much fun.

I completed my first pool-based sprint distance triathlon in September 2018. In 2019, I moved to the open water… Then I brought a road bike… Then I extended the distance of my races… Then I entered some running races… And then I was asked if I’d like to become a coach.

I completed my Level 1 BTF qualification in November 2019 and I plan to continue to higher level qualifications in the near future.My brother was wrong and it turns out, I’m pretty ‘sporty’ after all.

Favourite biscuit: Big fan of a plain digestive or a shortbread… But I don’t discriminate, all biscuits deserve to be eaten.

In 2013 I took up triathlon as a hobby whilst at university to keep fit, and as a way to compete with my older brother ala the Brownlees.  

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I joined AVTC at the end of 2021 after moving to Abingdon and with their help through training was able to complete my first Ironman after one year in the club.

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The impressive organisation and friendliness of everyone in the club motivated me to join the committee and help support its running.

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Favourite Biscuit: Fox’s Double Chocolate Cookie

I joined AVTC in 2021 after starting a new job in the area and moving all the way from Scotland. I wasn’t sporty in the slightest, and I didn’t even have a bike so it was a sharp learning curve the first few months.

Since joining, I’ve grown in confidence in running, swimming and cycling thanks to the support of the amazing AVTC coaches and the advice of fellow AVTC members. One of my favourite memories after joining the club was taking part in the Radley Triathlon in 2024 and having loads of club members out both competing and supporting. I’ve also managed to compete a few other events and am currently utilising the AVTC running sessions to train for my first marathon in April 2025.

This is my first year on the committee and I’m really excited to get more involved with the club in 2025

I joined the club in 2014 with my daughter after we both “had a go” at triathlon. I did my first race in 2007 after giving up football trying not to spend all my spare time on the sofa. I really enjoy training and racing with like minded people.

I was born with a bit of a dogs dinner of a left leg and got classified as a para triathlete in 2017 and have enjoyed racing with members of the team GB squad. In 2021 I did my first half Ironman distance triathlon and surprised myself be smiling for most of it. I’m the man you need to talk to if you’d like some kit.

Favourite Biscuit: Fig rolls

I have been an on and off triathlete since the late 90s having enjoyed swimming and running prior to that. Every decade or so I have a year or two when I’m a bit more focussed about training and racing, ranging from a super sprint to my one and only 70.3. My family are triathlon mad and we have more bikes in our family than teaspoons! I love being part of such a friendly and encouraging club with a great team of coaches and hope to encourage more people to join and find their love of the sport.

My triathlon journey is about as long as my transitions… I fell in a puddle as a small boy, and I haven’t stopped swimming since; and growing up in the countryside meant I lived on my bike, blasting trails caked in mud. Running however has never been my forte and was a blocker to triathlon for many years. 

An early attempt at Radley TryTri went unsurprisingly badly, so before going for a second attempt in 2023, I joined AVTC to do it properly. With all the great advice from the coaches and the support from other members, my run performance improved incomparably. 

I’m currently helping with the committee as part of the membership team and look forward to welcoming new warriors to the cause. 

Favourite biscuit: Garibaldi

I joined the club in 2021, having completed my first sprint triathlon earlier in the year. Everyone at the event was friendly and super helpful and I was instantly hooked on the sport. After moving to the area for work, I joined AVTC and was once again met with friendly encouragement and over the last 4 years they’ve helped me stay somewhat consistent (emphasis on somewhat…) with training. 

Like the rest of the UK it seems, I only really started running in lockdown, although never did much beyond 10k. I’ve now completed a few half marathons, and I’m currently training for my second marathon. Having started as a beginner with AVTC back in 2021, the club and its members have helped me improve so much more than if I’d been training alone 

I’m really excited to have joined the committee and hopefully encourage new people to get involved!

For Father's Day 2022 my youngest daughter very kindly presented me with a card which included a Pie Chart titled 'Dad's Daily To Do List'.  At 13%, the third largest segment was 'Sleep'.  Around 26%, the next largest segment was 'Eat any cake you can find' and the largest segment, 48%, was 'Sit on your ass'.

Inspired by this subliminal motivational message, 10 months later I decided to become a triathlete and entered my first triathlon - the 2023 Radley TryTri.

I knew very little about triathlons - the romper suit outfits and transition regulations.  Unfortunately, I ended up posting the slowest swim time out of all the entrants as I did not realise they would not deduct the time I spent after the swim to have a lovely warm shower, freshen up a bit and enjoy a few snacks before heading off for the bike ride.

Completely over excited, in 2023 I also entered the Blenheim Triathlon, Oxford Triathlon and Reading Triathlon.  In September 2023 I realised I would probably benefit from some coaching and reached out to AVTC.

From my experience, I can genuinely say the club welcomes all levels.  The coaches are all amazing - knowledgeable, enthusiastic, patient but challenging.  The variety and regularity of training sessions and events throughout the whole year is pretty incredible.  We are also blessed to have so many people, with expertise in various different areas, who are willing to give their time to ensure the club thrives so well.

Favourite biscuit - Warm Raspberry and White Chocolate Cookies