Kim Drain - Athlete Ambassador
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Have you always been into sport?
Really not. I could not have been less interested until 2017. I had a go at my first triathlon. My Crohn’s disease had dominated my adult life at that point. Anxiety about being away from a toilet honestly stopped me doing anything let alone sport.
How did you first get into triathlon?
In 2017 it had always bothered me that I couldn't swim. I used the triathlon at my local leisure centre as an end goal for my swimming lessons. My time couldn't have been worse that day. I'd had increased Crohn's disease symptoms the couple weeks leading up to the sprint triathlon (pool swim). I DID IT!
The first time I heard of triathlon and particularly Ironman triathlon was Chrissie Wellington being reported on in the local news. I was 11-12 years old at that time but never thought I'd consider doing an Ironman myself as I currently am.
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?
It's hard to single out one race. This year I did a sprint triathlon and smashed it! It was a real moment personally looking at how far I had come from 2017. I was chuffed with myself. This race was Culford sprint tri a popular local race in Suffolk.
What is your proudest achievement?
Keeping it all up through the pandemic.
Have you ever had any racing disasters?
Totally agree with Ms Wellington the perfect race doesn’t exist. I'm yet to have any disasters. I think that's down in part to pre-race planning. I always feel I've put too much into training to allow a sloppy oversight on race day mess it up. Luck, you need an amount of luck to not get a mechanical, get injured etc. So far I've been lucky enough.
How do you overcome setbacks?
I don't worry about where I've been speed/distance wise but where I currently am. I'm forever in and out of hospital and my fitness varies wildly in correlation with that. I establish what my current base is and work out how I can improve that most effectively before my next race. I don't know another trans woman living with Crohn’s Disease to measure myself against. So I don't worry myself with what other people are doing too much.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
- RUN YOUR RACE! ITS YOU V YOU.
- Elbows out ;)
What are your goals?
- Holkham Half Ironman 2022
- London Marathon 2022 (deferred from 2021)
- Ironman 2023?
Who inspires you?
Chrissie Wellington, Charlie Martin, my sister Julie who is a very strong woman and my beautiful niece Georgia (swims like a fish age 5) and nephew Henry.
Why work with Sundried?
First and foremost the gear is fantastic. Personally I'm becoming a lot more conscious about living sustainably. I have an awful lot of sports kit but had never thought about its sustainability. I'd always work with an independent British brand by choice. The range offered is ever growing, the diversity of the company is fantastic. Sundried just feels like an exciting company.
To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.
