Andrew Bowden
Andrew took up triathlons two years ago and enjoys them so much that he now trains every day…
You may know Andrew Bowden who works in the Co-op in Yelverton, as a mild mannered, tall and cheerful man, but when off duty he is passionate about the outdoor life - running, cycling and swimming, pushing himself ever further taking on marathons, duathlons, triathlons and even iron man competitions. I managed to catch him in between training sessions and he told me all about his sporting endeavours.
Andrew was born in Whitchurch and attended Tavistock College before studying English Literature and History at Marjons. He has travelled the world, spending time in Europe, six months in New York and a year in Australia where he took part in a sky dive over the Great Barrier Reef and worked at the Melbourne Grand Prix.
In 2004 Andrew’s mother died of breast cancer and for Andrew this was a sink or swim moment. He ran the London marathon, raising £2,000 for a Breast Cancer Charity despite very little training and no experience. A year later he was back again and really enjoyed the challenge of the run, the healthy lifestyle and the buzz of the competition. Many local running competitions have followed including the Tavy 7 and half marathons, as well as unconventional events like the Leaky Freaky Duathlon at Roadford Lake: a 5k run, 40k cycle out to Bude, 5k run around Tamar Lakes, 40k bike ride back to Roadford, then another 5k run to the finish.
But it was not until 2013 when he joined the Bere Alston Trekkers (BATS) that Andrew became a serious athlete. There he met Nathan Newton and the pair struck up an enduring friendship. Nathan is a more experienced runner and has become Andrew’s coach and mentor. They regularly train together and push each other on to bigger and bolder competitions.
Looking for something more diverse, the pair attempted a duathlon comprising a run, followed by a bike ride and then a further run. Success in these events encouraged them to try triathlons and then Olympic distance triathlons in Cardiff and Chester which include a 1-mile swim, then a 25-mile cycle and finish with a 10km run. Andrew took part in his first triathlon at Blenheim Palace in 2015 and managed an unexpected 23rd place out of 268 competitors, which spurred him on to tackle more ambitious events such as the Great North Run. However soon he and Nathan were after a more ambitious challenge.
Andrew competed in his first half Iron Man competition last year in Weymouth and his second in Staffordshire this summer under oppressive temperatures of 32 degrees. The 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile cycle and 13.1-mile run seem such an impressive feat to me, and Andrew explains that in order to maintain fitness levels he trains every day, fitting in 5 miles of swimming at Mount Kelly, over 180 miles of cycling and 20 miles of running each week in between shifts. He really enjoys training and the healthy diet that accompanies it. He’s hoping to complete the Iron Man hat-trick in Barcelona next year.
For the last three years he has worked at the Co-op and says he loves it because he has made so many friends there. When he’s out training he always sees people that know him and they wave or shout hello. He recently fell off his bike and was rescued by a customer who recognised him and generously took him to A&E.
Nathan recently qualified to represent Team GB in the World Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam which has encouraged Andrew to enter the duathlon championships in Bedford this month where he is hoping to qualify to represent Team GB in Ibiza. So next time you pop in for a loaf of bread, pint of milk or paper, look out for Andrew and if he’s not there I guess he’ll be out on the moor either running, cycling or swimming.
Nichola Williams