Harrison Rolls-King Athlete Ambassador
Harrison is a triathlete with his eyes set on going pro. He talks to Sundried about training and racing.
Have you always been into sport?
Yes, definitely. When I was young I played tennis and did swimming. I loved them both but at age 8, swimming started to take off and I had to make a decision on what I wanted to do. A change in swim squads led me to meet my now coach of 13 years Glenn Cook, head coach at Team Bodyworks in Eastbourne. By age 10 I was entering the world of triathlon and keeping my swimming galas going during the winter.
What’s been your favourite race to date and why?
I think in terms of overall experience, Challenge Peguera-Mallorca 70.3 has been my favorite race to date. It was my first attempt at middle distance racing and it was also the European finale for Challenge brand races. The race went well but it was the streets lined with people around the whole run course and running through the finish zone grandstand with a blaring DJ and red carpet which made a wall of overwhelming energy hitting me and was something I’ll never forget!
And your proudest achievement?
I pride myself in my consistency in both training and racing, which is a key factor to success in endurance sports. I have been really lucky over the years not to have been riddled with injuries. Keeping the majority of my training going through GSCEs, college and university was a big challenge and is definitely up there with some of the things I’m most proud of.
Have you ever had any racing disasters/your toughest race yet?
Luckily for me, my racing disasters have be few and far between. My toughest race was this year at Chomondeley Castle 70.3. Having led for the first 3 hours of racing, I was caught in the last 5km of the run and my legs started to cramp all over; running up and down steep hills was not easy nor pretty as I grunted my way through!
What are your goals for 2019 and 2020?
Growing up I have been racing the domestic elite ITU style short course circuit but now my new goal heads towards the middle distance of 70.3 racing where I will be aiming to gain my professional race licence.
Who do you take your inspiration from?
Lucy Gossage is by far one of my favourite athletes to watch racing and hear about. Her love and passion for the sport and life in general is just fantastic. Her ability to overcome set backs and pull out amazing results and study/completing exams alongside racing some of the toughest courses and coming out on top is pure inspiration!
What do you like about Sundried and what’s your favourite bit of our kit?
Sundried produce some great kit; I particularly love the running tops and vests! Simple clean designs, cooling, and quality material. I really like Sundried’s involvement with making their products and brand eco friendly with products made from recycled plastic bottles and coffee!
