Committee 11/12

President

Name - Alistair Hammer
Age - 23
Nationality - English/German
Studying - Sociology and Social Anthropology

What have you done? Well, I have entered and competed in more races than you can count on fingers and toes. Sadly, my main competitors were my siblings, and being number three of four meant my position stayed at 3rd place, until by little brother grew bigger than me. So, other than the Hammer Olympics and school sports days, my competitive profile prior to university was at next to none. Since university however I have competed in half a dozen races and loved every race in some way, even the brutal ones.

Triathlon experience? Before uni I didn’t have a lot of swimming or cycling experience - does a cycling holiday in Holland at age 6 count as experience? But, I have been keen on running for a long time and did compete in regional sports at school.
I proudly completed my first triathlon after a year of being with EuTri. I put it off for a long time, but once completed it re-ignited my competitive spirit and had me itching to do more. And judging from my satisfactory completion times EuTri has done an amazing job at knocking me into shape!

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: University sports clubs produce some of the best athletes in the UK, and indeed EuTri’s past and current members are competing at a national and international level. I would like to maintain this elite and competitive reputation by encouraging everyone to push themselves to their full potential. However, I also find it frustrating how some university sports clubs do not cater for beginner or less competitive athletes, but instead have a tendency to only accept people who come from a background in that discipline. I strongly encourage anyone to give triathlon a go, and hope to provide the training and social side for people from all walks of life.

Secretary

Name - Jenny Hayward
Age - 20
Nationality - English
Studying - 3rd year English Literature

What have you done? I was on the school swimming team for a while and then started training with the swimming club at my local pool. Aside from swimming, my main sporting endeavours have been in windsurfing, but I am definitely a fair-weather windsurfer and haven’t done it for a couple of years. That may have something to do with having moved to the chilly shores of Scotland. Through a drastic miscalculation on the Games teacher’s part I was also briefly on the school cross-country team and competed in a few events, with fairly disastrous consequences. Before EUTri my cycling experience largely consisted of having been to Center Parcs every summer since I was about 3. I have had a troubled relationship with bikes and countless bike-related incidents which usually ended up with me sprawled in the road or tangled in a hedge. Since joining EUTri I have really got the cycling bug and have invested in a bike that is much better at the sport than I am. I aim to spend next year trying not to let my bike down.

Triathlon experience? Well, I am living proof that you don’t in fact need any triathlon experience to enjoy EUTri, or even to sneak onto the committee (shhh they might not have noticed yet). I joined EUTri last year because I wanted a bit of a challenge, and why limit yourself to being bad at just one sport when you could be bad at three? This turned out to be a fantastic decision and I am thoroughly enjoying becoming not-quite-so-bad at three whole sports. Having been in the club for a year I am doing my first sprint triathlon in September. My goal is to get round without crying, bleeding, throwing up, or being overtaken by too many OAPs in lycra. You know what they say - aim high.

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: This year I hope to bring to the committee a borderline fetish for stationery and some excellent chocolate cake. I also hope to tempt in more beginners like myself and convince them that those really are tears of joy they’re shedding during training sessions. EUTri is already a really welcoming and friendly club but I’ll try to be as regular a face as possible at training sessions and all-important socials to give any and all new recruits some encouragement. This is really all just a cunning plan to make sure I’m not the only one struggling along at the back.

 

Treasurer

Name - Dechlan Wilson
Age - 19
Nationality - Scottish
Studying - Maths and Business in 3rd year

What have you done? I was a swimmer all of my days for the mighty Peebles A.S.C. but was never really a gold medal winner! After being forced to run for P.E. I got into triathlons about 5 years ago and never looked back.

Triathlon experience? I have done many a sprint triathlon and enjoy the racing banter! Swimming and running are great fun but cycling is not so fun for me. Hopefully a full distance triathlon is on the cards for 2011.

Swim Captain

Name - David Steel
Age - 21
Nationality - Scottish
Studying - Medicine

What have you done? A life long love of swimming led to my first exposure to the sport back in school when I used the local triathlon club for swim coaching before joining a swimming club. After a few years of swimming with kids 5 years younger than me and not getting anywhere I finally accepted I wasn’t the next Thorpe and dabbled in Triathlon instead. Having joined EuTri in my 3rd year of uni one massive regret is not joining sooner… if you’re considering it at all, just do it! 

Triathlon experience? My good friends at EuTri helped me conquer my fear of cycling the Edinburgh roads just in time for Midlothian sprint triathlon in May (yes it took 8 months!). Loved the race and can’t wait for more next season.

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: I think what makes triathlon unique is that alongside being a serious competitive sport it’s something that anyone can give a go. It’s amazing when you go to a race and there is a whole range of abilities, from national level athletes right across to complete beginners... all racing beside each other! I want to keep this spirit a big part of EuTri this year. I believe everyone; from the social jogger to the 16hrs a week athlete has something to contribute to the club!

Cycle Captain

Name - Sam Shaw
Age - 19
Nationality - Scottish
Studying - 2nd year Mechanical Engineering

What have you done? All the way through primary and secondary I did loads of athletics, I also did plenty of cycling and swimming, but never competed in swimming, just trained for fun. I started to compete in mountain biking competitions in secondary school up to national level and loved it. I’ve never particularly enjoyed running anything but a 100m sprint but forced myself to train so I could compete in various 10k’s, hill runs and multisport events.

Triathlon experience? I started triathlon about 5 years ago and despite the fact I haven’t taken part in many I have loved them all. I’m a cycist primarily and love the fact that on the cycle leg I can pass people and have a rest before the run. The swimming is also a strong point for me but I usually lose any advantage I might have on the run. Eutri has been brilliant for first year, really friendly and got me straight into everything after freshers and I cant wait to compete with them for the next 4 years.

Run Captain

Name - Matt Porteous
Age - 23
Nationality - Scottish
Studying - Medicine

What have you done? My younger days were spent playing badminton for a local team but quickly gave this up when I realised how much I preferred a lie-in at weekends rather than training. For the next few years I turned my attentions to golf (mostly because it required a lot less energy) before taking up running in my last year at school. I quickly became hooked and entered a good few races before getting injured. I spent the next 2 years running on and off (mostly off) before deciding that dividing my time between 3 sports might reduce my chance of injury. So I joined EuTri and have not looked back since!

Triathlon experience? Not owning a bike meant I didn’t race in a triathlon for my first 2 years in EuTri (apparently a record?!). I finally broke my duck last year and have now competed in 3 sprint triathlons. The aim for this year is to race in some longer distance triathlons.

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: First and foremost, as running captain I’m going to be aiming to make running as enjoyable for you all as I can! Of the 3 sports in triathlon, I am definitely the most passionate about running and I hope this will rub off on others in the club throughout the course of the year. I have been running in Edinburgh for 6 years now and know the city well – look out for some new routes on Monday night runs! I also plan to keep the club up-to-date with running events throughout the year for those interested in running competitively.

Social Secretary

Name - Lyndsey Cruickshanks
Age - 21
Nationality - Scottish (despite the accent!)
Studying - 4th year Biology

What have you done? I come from a badminton obsessed family, so my main goal in life is to never ever play badminton. After learning how to swim, my brother and I decided we were too lazy to dabble in any other sports so just stuck with swimming. Upon joined the local swimming club, my main motivation to train was the fact that swimming was the only thing I was better than my brother at. My running experience consisted of jogging/gossiping with my friend, which lead to me developing a vast array of excuses of why I couldn't run. As for cycling, my brother had a talent for breaking every bike in the house and never fixing them, therefore my experience was minimal.

Triathlon experience? When it comes to training, swimming and running are great fun. However, I am yet to make friends with my bike (Gully) so cycling is more or less forced upon me. But having joined the club 2 years ago, I have done 3.5 triathlons, the 0.5 because of a stupid puncture! From this I have learnt NEVER to wish for a puncture before the race because it will happen! But by far the best part of training is the banter, both at training and socials but especially Monday night  runs!!

Webmaster

Name - Hamish Naismith
Age - 23
Nationality - Scottish
Studying - Medicine

What have you done? I was mainly into cycling, having been involved with the cycling club in first year. Deteriorating results in cross-country at school had put me off running, but decided to take it up again and really enjoyed it. Just one discipline short for tris, I decided to sign up with the tri club. I’d heard the training/competing was good as well as the social side. After benefiting from some good coaching for swimming, I now find a lot easier.

Triathlon experience? I competed in Midlothian triathlon at the end of my first year with the club. Luckily my bike arrived two days before the race! I’m hoping to do some more races this year, possibly duathlons.

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: As well as being involved in training and the social side, I aim to keep the website up and running and try a few ideas for developing it further.

Race Organiser

Name - Heather
Age 23
Nationality Scottish
Studying Veterinary Medicine

What have you done? My main sporting interest since before I began learning the alphabet has been horse-riding. It's fair to say that it is the only sport at which I can call myself vaguely proficient, at least until becoming a triathlete (if I can call myself that). The other sporting achievements of my youth do not rank highly. I played hockey for 6 years, but never got further than the second's team. I enjoyed swimming for a few years in primary school, but somehow managed to only become decent at breast stroke, and useless at front crawl. (This situation had not changed at all by the time I joined Eutri.) Arriving at uni, my only athletic activities consisted of turning up hungover for hockey matches, a bit of jogging round the meadows, and a few gym classes. I joined triathlon club looking for a new challenge and cos they looked like good banter. I am so glad I made that decision!

Triathlon experience? After learning how to swim properly and massively improving my previously lacklustre fitness, I completed my first sprint triathlon in April. Eutri must have whipped me into shape as it wasn't too bad at all! Previous to that I also ran my first half marathon (in a blizzard), running being my current favourite out of the three sports. Since then I've done a duathlon, another triathlon and a 10k hill race, and loved all of them. Next season I'll be aiming to improve my swim times further and actually bother to go to interval training!

What I aim to contribute to EUTri: Being one of those people who is always cramming in as much as I can into my busy little life, I'm pretty efficient at getting stuff done and staying chilled when I should be freaking out. So hopefully I should take the task of being Race Organiser in my stride. Most of all I want to give something back to this awesome club before I leave uni. And lastly, after organising a race, I can look forward to my favourite part..the inevitable carb blow-out and party!

Publicity

Name - Angus Elliott
Age - 20
Nationality -Half Scottish (English but in denial)
Studying - Civil Engineering (3rd year)

What have you done? Was a swimmer when I was young then became a rower through high school. Got a couple of national medals at J16 level but then got injured. I turned my hand to triathlon to keep fit while I healed and realised that triathlon is much more fun! After a year or so of 'hardcore' tri training (run, drink,swim,drink,cycle, drink, repeat) I injured my knee running so now I mainly do bike racing. You'll still see me at swimming though, just for funsies, and I also dabble in the odd triathlon now and again. Biggest weekend of the year is undoubtably the Aberdeen trip (and the closest you'll get to seeing me run)!

Triathlon experience? I've done a few in my time and loved every one of the little blighter's. Theres just something about triathlon that makes you come back for more! I mainly race about on my bike these days but I'll still be out in force at the Aberdeen Aquathlon (especially in the bar afterwards) and probably the odd sneaky wee tri here and there! Just can't stay away...