Triathlon: Group effort creates elite athlete

Wanganui's Athol Steward takes on his own age group on the world stage in Canada later this year.

Athol Steward will draw on all the support he has received from family, friends, colleagues and fellow athletes when he tackles the World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada, in August.

The head of Wanganui Hospital's emergency department has been selected to represent New Zealand's Age Group Standard Distance Triathlon team to compete in the 55-59 division.

While the physician has been a keen sportsman all his life, endurance running has been his strength, but he is confident he can cope well over shorter distances.

Last year Steward competed in the classic men's two-day team class in the Speights Coast to Coast with fellow Wanganui athlete Brett Watson. They finished second.

"My pedigree is endurance running, but I've been doing triathlons probably for the past four or five years and found that it's more about speed over those shorter distances," Steward said yesterday.

"In fact, I did my first standard distance triathlon at the New Zealand champs in Auckland a few weeks ago and felt quite happy."

The standard distance at the worlds in Canada involves a 1.5km swim, a 40km cycle leg and a 10km run and Steward is comfortable about all three disciplines.

"My strengths are probably a balance between all three disciplines. They just require different training regimes than my usual endurance racing and I'm happy with where I'm at leading up to Canada. Of course, you don't get to this level without an awful lot of support."

Steward has been helped by work colleague Dan Morrissy for his swim legs, former World cycling bronze medallist Gary Anderson, Diane Arbuckle for overall training and chiropractor Greg Miles to ensure his body remains intact.

"My family have also been staunch supporters and without all that help I wouldn't have made it this far. This is not an individual effort," Steward said.

His son, Lloyd, is also an accomplished athlete and competed at last year's Coast to Coast.

"I chose not to do the Coast to Coast this year preferring to concentrate on the worlds in Canada instead. Again, there are different training regimes required."

At 56, Steward is in the middle of his age group and knows there are numerous quick athletes in this group.

New Zealand selectors have chosen four athletes in each of the age groups.