PARATRIATHLON champion and Dame Allan’s Schools teacher Mike Salisbury hopes to defend his title when the 2022 British Triathlon Grand Final comes to the North East in Summer.
The Schools’ geography teacher and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, who competes internationally, welcomed news that Sunderland will host the major triathlon event in August.
Mike won gold within the PTS5 classification at last year’s Grand Final, held at Mallory Park, Leicestershire, in September. He also won the British Paratriathlon Championships and represented Great Britain at the World Triathlon Para Cup, in Portugal.
This year’s Grand Final, at the end of the triathlon season, will bring together top UK athletes from the Youth and Junior, Senior and Paratri British Triathlon Super Series to compete along the seafront of Sunderland.
Mike said: “This is a really high-profile event and I’m delighted it will be hosted in the North East, not least because I will be able to go to Sunderland and train in the run up to the Grand Final!
“This will give me the slight advantage of familiarising myself with Sunderland’s roads, and swimming in the sea there, so I’ll learn about the water conditions and just feel more comfortable in the environment.”
Mike, who was born with a congenital limb defect to his left arm, has trained throughout winter, but suffered a setback in January when knocked off his bike at Whitley Bay. A fracture to his elbow meant he was unable to run, cycle or swim for almost four weeks.
He has recently been able to resume training in preparation for the British Triathlon Paratri Super Series ‘Duathlon Championships’ in Prestwold in April.
Mike competes within the PTS5 paratriathlon classification, for ambulant athletes with mild impairments. He is ranked 29th in the world in his category, and 2nd in the UK behind George Peasgood, who took home silver in the men’s PTS5 triathlon final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
As well as hosting the Grand Final, Sunderland has also been earmarked to host a World Triathlon Championship Series event in 2023. The announcement forms part of a partnership being actioned by British Triathlon and Sunderland City Council to increase opportunities around swim, bike, run in the area.