Ethan Richards Athlete Ambassador

Ethan is a young triathlete who has big hopes for the future. He talks to Sundried about the highs and lows of racing.

How did you first get into triathlon?

My triathlon journey started back in 2012 when the Olympics were on and I watched the triathlon. I saw the Brownlee brothers and aspired to be like them one day. I entered a local triathlon, came 3rd, and the rest is history.

What's been your favourite race to date and why?

My favourite race was definitely Eton Dorney Banana Man triathlon as I didn’t have the best of swims but I managed to sit on the front of the pack on the bike and made up 1.15 minutes and caught the leaders resulting in 12th place.

And your proudest achievement?

I’m really proud of achieving a top 20 finish in the GC this year for the super series triathlon.

Have you ever had any racing disasters?

Last year, my first race in Wales was an 8-hour drive to the venue and I managed to come out of the swim with a bust lip and I lost a tooth. I placed 36th. This was a big shock so I came back from that race and trained hard for the next one, knowing that the standards of racing were high.

Then two years ago I faced a broken collarbone, setting me back 12 weeks on the super series performance assessment weekend. I also broke my wrist at a national cycle series race around Newcastle towards the end of last season forcing me to miss out on one of the last races of the season.

What are your goals?

For 2020, if the season does go ahead, I hope to qualify for super league triathlon and represent the country.

Who inspires you?

Someone who inspires me a lot is Tim Don as he has had major set backs and I can relate.

What do you like about Sundried?

I like Sundried because they use recycled fabrics. I find this to be a great gap in the market for sportswear as it is environmentally-friendly. I especially like the cycle clothing as it is smart and comfortable.