Lewis Abbott - Athlete Ambassador
Have you always been into sport?
Yes I've always loved playing and watching sport. As a youngster I played football for many years and used to ride a BMX and scooter. I took part in a lot of sporting activities to challenge myself. I also like to watch all sorts of sports on TV including motorsports which is a big passion of mine.
How did you first get into triathlon?
I first became aware of the sport whilst watching the 2012 London Olympic Games. I watched both the men's and women's race and it looked like great fun. I was 12 years old at the time. That same summer my school decided to put on a very short triathlon race in the local pool and around the surrounding area. I entered this without doing any training. I suffered massively in the swim as I hadn't done much swimming in a while and hadn't learned any proper techniques but once this phase of the race was over I started to catch some of the others in front of me, managing to finish quite reasonably and in front of some of the club swimmers we had at the school.
If you are interested in getting into Triathlon, Sundried's kit is suitable for beginners as well as seasoned athletes. We have both men's and women's options available.
What has been your favourite race to date and why?
This has to be the world qualifier which was held at the Shropshire triathlon in 2022. It was an incredibly tough race and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well. I swam my best race to date, rode for my life on the bike which really impacted my run but I knew I had to ride hard to be with any chance of qualifying. Unfortunately I didn't manage to qualify but what I took away from this race is that I'm incredibly tough, strong and can race well when the pressure is on.
What is your proudest achievement?
My proudest achievement has to be finishing my first standard distance race which was the English Riviera Triathlon. I had just been training for sprint distance races and decided to enter the race with a month to go until the event. The race was longer than your usual standard distance race lasting over three hours and I was definitely not prepared for what I had ahead of me. The bike course was incredibly hilly and technical. The run course involved running up huge sets of steps along the coastal path which really took it out of me, but when I crossed the line and found out I finished 5th it was a huge shock and a very proud moment.
Have you ever had any racing disasters?
Fortunately I've been quite lucky in that I've not had any huge mechanical disasters. I've had a race where I took a wrong turn and had to run back on myself to get back on route but I'm sure my luck will eventually run out.
How do you overcome setbacks?
Setbacks for me are very frustrating but over time I've learnt that you can't control everything and setbacks are a part of the journey. I overcome setbacks by looking at what can I do to avoid them from occurring in the future and change my approach to the issue and find a work around.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
To trust the process, making progress takes time and can take a while before you notice it. There's no point going flat out from the start because your body isn't used to the stresses you are putting it through. This will lead to burnout/injuries and illness. It's better to trust the process and do as much as necessary and listening to your body that way results will come.
What are your goals?
Where do I begin? My main aim for the 2023 season is step up my performance and start fighting for podiums, qualifying for races abroad to represent the Great British age group team. My long term goals are to race ironman and half ironman races. I also want to set myself different challenges like running across Dartmoor from north to south.
Who inspires you?
A big one for me has to be my grandad who unfortunately isn't with us, he inspires me to work hard and give my all like he did.
Alistair and Jonny Brownlee are the two names in the sport that inspired me to get started in triathlon just under two years ago, just because watching them give there all and achieve what they have just drove me to get started.
Why work with Sundried?
I think working with Sundried is a great opportunity because it's such a reputable company who are driven to supply great products to consumers to keep athletes training and racing with comfortable, effective and durable kit.
To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.
