Triathlon triumph for Fleetwood tutor chosen to race for Great Britain in European Championships

Endurance athletes know all about keeping going when times are tough, and Fleetwood’s Adam Diver is persevering in the hope his triathlon dreams will come true later this year.

The Fleetwood tutor has been chosen to represent Team GB at the ETU 2020 Triathlon European Championships.

The event is scheduled for Estonia in July, though that depends on coronavirus developments.

Adam teaches maritime operations and offshore programmes at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus run by Blackpool and the Fylde College.

He has attempted to qualify for the Great Britain team six times and was delighted to have achieved his first international call-up.

Determination in any adversity is very much part of Adam’s character after a 27-year Army career.

Serving with the Royal Lancaster regiment, Adam undertook tours of duty in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq.

A Blackpool-born Fleetwood resident, Adam’s dedication to the triathlon was rewarded with qualification for Team GB at an event in Southport.

Triathlon at this level comprises a 1,500m swim, a 40k bike ride and a 10k run.

His selection is the reward for many years’ committed effort.

Adam, now 44, told The Gazette: “I swam for Fleetwood Swimming Club and for the Army, and I got into triathlon around 10 years ago.

“I was able to do bits and pieces while I was in the Army, but since leaving I’ve had more time to hone my skills.

“I joined the college’s offshore department in health and safety, then became a tutor helping students who want to go into the merchant navy.

“I’ve had time to attend the qualifiers, which means going to events throughout the year all over the country.

“You have to achieve specified qualification times for your age category.

“My times have been improving year on year and I was really happy to receive the call to say I’d been selected.”

The call-up means a need to step up the intensity of his training even further, which is difficult in such unprecedented times as these.

Adam added: “I’m a good all-rounder in triathlon but my background is in swimming, so that is my strongest discipline.

“You have to find time to train each day and I had been working on one discipline per day, doing a run one day, then a swim the next and then a bike ride.”

Whatever happens with this year’s European Championships, Adam will be prepared and will soldier on.

British Triathlon has officially suspended all organised triathlon activity at least until the end of April due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Adam wishes to thank all local businesses whose sponsorship has helped him to reach this stage in his triathlon career.

He is also grateful to Blackpool’s former British boxing champion Brian Rose and all at his BR Boxing and Fitness club on Talbot Road.

He said: “Triathlon is an individual sport but being part of Team GB is a real honour for me because teamwork has always been really important to me in terms of my past life in the Armed Services and what I now do at the college.”