DUATHLON: Mum's feeling the heat

ANENDRA SINGH
It's quite a common scenario on the sidelines. Well-meaning parents, mustering on reserve energy they never knew they had to cheer their children on on the field, court, in the pool or velodrome.
But how many of those parents really know what their children are really going through?
Lynda Millward, mother of Hawke's Bay triathlete Callum, discovered that when she competed in the run-cycle-run Friendly Dental VLK series 2 in Havelock North yesterday, although her son wasn't on the sidelines to crack the whip. After completing the short course 2km run, 11km cycle and 2km run starting and finishing at the Happy Tav in the village yesterday morning in 56min 37sec, Millward caught a flight from Napier to Auckland to meet her son who is based in North Shore.
There she went on a shopping spree, consulting Callum to invest in a bike, new clothing, a helmet and shoes for the long haul in her newfound sport.
"I feel sorry for them (athletes). We go and stand on the sidelines and say, 'Come on Callum! Come on! You can do it!'," she said remorsefully from Auckland during a SportToday phone interview last night.
Consulting Callum proved fruitful as bike manufacturers Avanti sponsor Callum and Millward benefited from the discounts available at the Auckland branch.
"I spent a bit too much. He chose them and I had to pay for it but I need to support them too," she said with a laugh, happy that Callum will bring the gear down when he next visits them in Havelock North.
Having put her heart and soul with husband Dave to raise a fine specimen in professional triathlete Callum in the past 10-15 years, Millward last month decided to compete in her first multisport event.
"I saw a brochure at my work staff room and I said to myself: 'Now, I wouldn't mind doing that'," Millward, a National Bank consultant in Hastings, told SportToday after spotting the Hawke's Bay Multisports Club poster on the wall.
Like many people stepping out of their comfort zone, the 50-year-old needed some some support so she approached fellow bank staff members.
"I spoke to one, and she wouldn't do it. Another offered to join me but three weeks ago she found out that she had to move houses this weekend.
"My pride - well, it didn't get in the way but my workmates and my bosses knew that I was intending to do it so I didn't want to pull out."
Not disconcerted, Millward bumped into her aunt, Flora Ross, of Hastings, and mentioned it to her and the 68-year-old agreed to accompany her and even bought herself a new bike.
"She was a bit dubious and kept saying she was going to pull out because she wasn't too sure about running but she was fine today," Millward said of her aunt who was the oldest female competitor yesterday.
Millward kept Ross company in the first leg but broke free on her 17-year-old Warehouse bicycle.
Her muscles were tight last night but Millward was feeling fine.
"The brain doesn't let the body rule it." So is Millward carrying on in multisports? You bet she is after investing thousands at Mt Eden yesterday.
Even better is the interest husband Dave is showing. "He's very supportive and he said he might even get on a bike himself. I said 'good on you'," said Millward, who has eyes set on the Shoe Clinic 3Rivers duathlon at Clive on July 1.
Callum, 24, told SportToday it was awesome to see his parents get into multisport and relate to some of the pain top athletes endure.
"It's a middle-age awareness of fitness and it's good to see mum's jumped on board and enjoying a sport that's booming in New Zealand," he said from Auckland.
Steve Nicholls, of Napier, won the Open men's and overall title in a time of 1hr 11min 17sec, beating James Bell, of Havelock North who clocked 1:13:12 with Carl Fraser, of Napier, coming in at 1:18:32.
Naomi Ferguson, of Hastings, was the Open women's winner in a time of 1:22:37. HBMC development manager Jeanette Cooper was impressed with schoolgirl triathlon champions Megan Watson, of Hastings, who clocked 1:45:36 in the 4.5km run 22km cycle and 4.5km run to clinch the long course junior women's title, and short course champion Danica Burn, of Taradale, who clocked 41:18 in the 2km run and 11km cycle course.
Nicholls, 29, who moved down from Auckland a year ago to work for sports gear manufacturers Blueseventy, said with work mate Guy Crawford looking after their United Kingdom clients in an endless summer he was enjoying winning some events.
A former national athlete, Nicholls, who also coaches and prepares triathlon programmes for Tony Lambton's Hawke's Bay Tristudio, has toned down his competitiveness to focus on work.
"It was pretty cold and I wore a few more layers of clothing but although it rained a little before we started we ended up having some sun in the end. "We came in together in the run but I beat James on the bike."