Tom Davey Athlete Ambassador
Photo Credit to Nik Langdon-Ward
Tom is a triathlete who lives in Cornwall and was lucky enough to train with Olympians while at university in Loughborough. He talks to Sundried about training and racing.
Have you always been into sport?
Yes, I used to play hockey up to regional and county level when I was younger, and have always been into cycling and running, snowboarding and surfing – I love being outdoors and Cornwall is a great place to live for this; me and my wife are making sure our children are the same!
What made you decide to enter the world of triathlon?
I got into triathlon while studying at Loughborough Uni after a friend got me to join the club. I had no swimming background so this was always the challenge but quickly realised I was right up there on the bike and run so started to take it more seriously. Being based at Loughborough was so motivational and inspiring as I got to train with some of the country’s top triathletes as they prepared for the Olympics. I am still friends with many of them now which is great.
What’s been your favourite race to date and why?
My favourite race of the year is always the Perranporth Extreme Triathlon in Cornwall – very tough course and fantastic crowds and support on the beach make it a must do! Gutted I can't do it this year!
And your proudest achievement?
Racing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida has to be up there – amazing experience and would love to qualify and go back again soon.
Have you ever had any racing disasters/your toughest race yet?
Yes many! But I like to think I have used these experiences to make me a stronger athlete and learn from them. Perranporth is always a tough one, as well as the old UK Ironman 70.3 race on Exmoor – brutal course with so many hills!
How do you overcome setbacks?
Look at the bigger picture, take stock of the whole situation and focus on a solution and plan to get back on track
What advice do you wish you'd been given before you started competing?
How important race nutrition is - this is very often the key to a great performance over an average one!
What are your goals for 2019 and 2020?
My number 1 goal this year was to run a sub 3 hour marathon which I did in May this year at Newport. I have since used this fitness to have a successful triathlon season and also got back into half ironman distance racing which I really enjoyed.
2020 goals are to possibly lower my marathon PB, and do more longer distance racing – maybe Ironman….
Who do you take your inspiration from?
My son Noah – he is obsessed with triathlon, cycling and running and absolutely loves it – he reminds me that enjoying the process is so important to get results!
What do you like about Sundried and what’s your favourite bit of our kit?
The Tri Suit is great, I cant wait to use it in my next race, I am also looking forward to using some of the eco friendly run and cycling kit in training. Sundried make great quality kit but also have an very important underlying ethos to protect the environment and be as sustainable as possible. This is important to me both personally and professionally as I also work for a company with similar values.
