Former Olympic and world championship medal-winning rower Nathan Twaddle is turning his attentions to triathlon and will compete in the first Contact Tri Series event in Rotorua on Saturday.
Twaddle said he wasn't expected to repeat his rowing success in his new sport but was looking forward to the event.
"Blue Lake is a bit of an old haunt for me from my rowing days and now the rowing is done for I am looking for a way to stay in shape and having a goal to work towards so I think it will be a fun day,'' he said.
Twaddle admitted there was something in the make-up of rowers that leads them to take on other sports, in particular cycling, with a number of successful transitions to two wheels.
"We have a bit of a training pedigree I guess, we train pretty hard, our coaches demand a high intensity from us and I think this translates pretty well onto the bike. I don't think cyclists like training with rowers, not because they can't beat us but we seem to keep up and to be honest, we don't know the road rules that well, so probably get in the way a bit.
"The bike should be my strongest discipline, I know Hamish Carter is a former rower and [he] once said most of us rowers tend to run like elephants so I'll certainly be plodding on the run course but will see what I can do on the bike so not too many pass me on the run _ that is the plan anyway.''
Twaddle has also entered the age group race at the Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Cup event on November 20 around the Auckland waterfront and is looking forward to mixing it on the same day as the world's best turn up to race.
