A WIRRAL woman with a passion for all things bike is gearing up to represent her country when she competes in the European Duathlon Championships in Holland next month.
Catherine Jennings, who lives in Irby Village, will fly out to Holland on April 11 ahead of the race on April 13.
The 25-year-old, who started competing in triathlons and duathlons as a way of pushing herself to learn to swim, has also qualified for the World Championships in Spain in June.
“I have been competing in triathlons for a few years now but it has started to get a bit more serious over the last couple of years,” said Catherine, who fits her training around her full-time job at Giant Bicycle in Liverpool.
“There are races that I can do to try and qualify to be part of the GB team and I did one at Oulton Park last September and managed to get through in my age group to qualify for the race in Holland.”
Despite working full-time, Catherine has been training hard for the duathlon, which will see her compete for the European Champion title and a chance to represent Team GB in future events.
She said: “I’ve been doing a lot of biking and running – I’ve been going to Wales on the bike.
“I have had a couple of injuries and things that have been annoying but I’ve been doing a lot of training in preparation.
“It is hard work and it is all self-funded. I’m hoping to compete in the World Championships in Spain in June but it’s just a case of being able to get some kind of sponsorship together.”
Catherine qualified for the World Championships earlier this month after taking part in a qualifying race she thought she had failed to succeed in.
“I had no idea that I had qualified,” she explained.~
“But then I got the call to tell me I had – it’s very exciting.”
Fiancé Phil Conroy added: “I, our families and friends are immensely proud of Catherine’s achievement and the chance to represent our country is fantastic.”
If you are interested in helping Catherine get to the World Championships by sponsoring her, email her on cath.bodysmart@googlemail.com
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