Get Logan to Sydney World Triathalon Championships.

Background:

Logan is 15 years of age and has always had a love for sport especially swimming.

Several years ago, Logan ‘found’ our local triathlon club, Craven Energy. Logan started attending Saturday morning swim sessions more to improve his swimming rather than to participate in triathlons. Logan’s swimming started improving and he soon found himself moving up through the lanes. Unfortunately, like all other sports, COVID restrictions played a part in putting a halt to all training.

As training re started, Logan started to show an interest in the other 2 disciplines of the Triathlon, bike and run and began to enter competitions. It’s worth noting here that Logan’s birthday is at the very end of the year, so he never actually gets to race against his peers in terms of actual age, which proves challenging.

Logan’s Progress (up to 2024):

• Logan competed in his first triathlon competition in July 2021 at Huddersfield. He came 14th in his age category.

• Unfortunately, again, due to lock down restrictions, Logan’s next competitions weren’t until 2022 when he was able to complete in 2 Aquathlons (swim/ run) where he came 8th and 12th in his age category.

• Logan was only able to compete in 2 competitions that year due to suffering with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which very nearly saw him wheelchair bound due to persistent, severe, and debilitating pain. Once diagnosed, to Logans credit, his extremely positive attitude and mental toughness, he managed to overcome this and once more retuned back to training.

• 2023 was the year in which Logan started to take the sport seriously, with several 4th place finishes again in his age category.

• In junior triathlon, the age categories are doubled up. Logan was now 14 years of age but racing in the 15/16 age group.

• Mid way through the year, Logan joined the Performance Squad within Junior Craven Energy club. Logan now had a dedicated coach and an individual training plan and at this point the training got even harder.

• In September 2023, Logan made selection for the trails for the Yorkshire Academy Squad. After attending, Logan was selected as part of the team for the Yorkshire Talent Squad, this being the feeder for the Academy.

The end of racing season came and the hard graft started to be ready for 2024.

Logan’s 2024:

Logan’s triathlon season started well. It became apparent that Logan enjoyed the longer racing distances and now at 15, was able to enter adult sprint distances racing in the under 20 age group.

Logan entered the English Triathlon Championships in Ullswater; the distances being 750-meter swim open water, 22k bike and 5k run. Logan came second in his age group – the Under 20’s, and 16th overall in the whole competition. An amazing achievement.

All the above has been achieved whilst facing significant personal challenges.

Logan is Autistic and has ADHD. This affects Logan in every part of his daily life but in particular brings the following challenges for Logan in sport.

1. Sensory overloads.

2. Organisation, specifically in transitions between swim, bike and run are a significant issue as these are very unstructured and accentuate any confusion over the complexities of these transition phases.

3. General anxiety. The English Triathlon Championships were Logan’s first race where he would cycle on unknown roads which were open to the public. With several different race distances happening at the same time and bikes going different routes, signs heading in all different directions, marshals unable to tell you which route to take and cars whizzing past up to 60 miles an hour.

Logan was on his own dealing with all the above. With no tracking and unable to know where he was or how he was getting on, it was such a relief to see him successfully complete the cycling and progress to his next transition. And, of course, it was amazing for Logan to finally appear on a podium.

The next challenge in Logan’s triathlon tale was the event in Cardiff, to qualify for the Triathlon World Championships in Australia 2025. It was only from speaking with his coach the weekend before who suggested he gives it a go that he entered. Again, Logan was racing in the under 20 category.

We arrived the day before to review the course. As highlighted, the key element in a triathlon is the transition as it can be chaotic and no assistance is permitted during the event. Logan faced a transition area that was huge and highly complex, with lots of ‘buzz’ happening, competitors everywhere and Logan’s anxiety levels through the roof as, during the actual race, he was going to have to come out of the water and find his bike in what would be a sea of bikes. In addition, the swim also looking more like a sea swim than a lake.

Logan coped superbly, staying focused and went through the transitions well, dealing with the anxiety of the multiple distractions.

This was Logan’s best race yet. No podium finish but the field was tough with this event not only being the World Championships qualifier, but it was also well known as one of the best events on the British Triathlon calendar. After completion, there’s a 3 week wait to find out if you have made it into the GB team for the World Championships

Logan did it. At 16 years of age in October 2025, Logan will be part of the GB Triathlon Age Group Team in the under 20 squad in Wollongong Australia.

Logan’s third adult racing competition was held at Mallory Park, Leicestershire in August 2024. This event is the Great British Age Group Championships and also the qualification race for the Great British Team to qualify for the European Championships that will be held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2025.

Again, Logan raced in the under 20 age group category and with Istanbul being a more accessible destination than Australia, these Championships were very heavily attended with a large field competing for the qualification spots.

Once again, Logan pulled a blinder of a race qualified for the U20 European Championships to add to his existing qualification for the U20 World Championships.

With Logans birthday being on the 25th November, he is more or less guaranteed to be the youngest competitor racing in both of these events (give or take a few days).

All the Championships mentioned above are self-funded.

✓ The entry fees, race fees and membership.

✓ The GB kit which you must race in.

✓ Transportation of your bike.

✓ Flights

✓ Accommodation.

Logan is trying to raise funds himself through various means including the making and selling of his homemade dog biscuit business.

I have managed to collate some estimates of the costs of the above NB – these are compulsory on order to compete:

- Entry fees, membership - £700 in total for the 2 events.

- GB kit. Tri suit - £200.

- Transportation of bike, flights and accommodation have been requested but I have not been provided any figures as of yet. I would like to be clear that any contributions are for Logan specifically; myself and Logan’s dad will be paying for ourselves.

i have been asked to open a go fund me page as people are wishing to support Logan on his triathlon journey.

We thank every single person for your contributions and words of encouragement.

Many thanks