Jamie Chatfield Athlete Ambassador
Jamie has always been sporty and found himself hooked on the sport of triathlon. He talks to Sundried about overcoming illnesses and tough half Ironman races.
Have you always been into sport?
I have, all sports. I’ve been running competitively since the age of 9, running at county level and National Schools. However, I had a brief interlude for 4 years whilst at college but only recently focused back on running for triathlon.
What made you decide to enter the world of triathlon?
I could run well and my cycling was ok-ish. However, swimming was never a strong point for me but I thought I’d string them together and have a crack at a local race and won my AG and came 2nd overall. That was it, I was hooked.
What’s been your favourite race to date and why?
Despite qualifying at Weymouth for the Ironman 70.3 World Champs twice, my best race was my GB qualifying race at Bedford when I raced against my coach in the sprint Duathlon and beat him.
And your proudest achievement?
My 2nd ever 70.3 was in the inaugural Weymouth Ironman 70.3 race where I was 3rd in AG and qualified for the World Champs - a dream come true and something I never thought I’d achieve in my first year of competitive racing.
Have you ever had any racing disasters/your toughest race yet?
Funnily enough, the 2017 70.3 Worlds in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I was ill leading up to the race having spent the week preceding the race in bed. Race day came but I managed to drag myself out of bed at 4.00am and began preparing for the race. I simply wanted to finish - swim was ok, bike was good and my run should have been strong enough to place me in the top 10 but my body was having none of it. After mile 3, everything caught up with me and it then became a battle against the course (1000ft of climbing on the run), 90 degree heat and the illness. It’s the first race where I actually wanted to DNF but I finally crossed the finish line, scraping a sub 5hr time.
How do you overcome setbacks?
Remain focused and never forget that there is an end to recovery or illness.
What is the best bit of advice you wish someone had told you before you started competing?
Take recovery seriously. There is a very good reason why your coach tells you to take it easy in your training plan.
What are your goals for 2019?
Get my running legs back after a bad foot injury and focus on the Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Nice.
Who do you take your inspiration from?
Fellow athletes and those athletes who are ageing gracefully but still competing at the pointy end of Age Group racing. That said, I’m in awe of those athletes who have overcome real adversity in their lives and with sheer determination, passion and drive, are able to compete at the highest level.
What do you like about Sundried and what’s your favourite bit of our kit?
The innovation and use of recycled materials is superb. With so much publicity about the over use of plastics, we cannot as a planet, turn away from our responsibilities to shop more conscientiously and use more materials that either biodegrade quickly or can be recycled.
I’m looking forward to placing my first order. The quilted hoodie and running leggings will be at the top of my list.
