Four English-born triathletes to compete for Australia in World Triathlon Age Group Championships in the UK
FOUR English-born triathletes heading back to the UK for the World Triathlon Age Group Championships cannot wait to represent Australia.
FOUR English-born triathletes heading back to the UK for the World Triathlon Age Group Championships cannot wait to represent Australia.
Sarah Perkins, Zoe Hubball, Gabriel Parker and Nic Leavold have all become naturalised Australians after migrating here in the past decade and will be full of pride when they don the green and gold back in the mother country.
"I think there will be a real sense of achievement going back there to compete in front of family and friends," Perkins says.
"There will be a bit of stirring from some of the rellies about wearing the wrong colours but I could not be prouder.
"Migration is not an easy thing and to have the courage to come to Australia and start a new life, and then to go back to England and compete for your new country, we'll all be very, very proud."
Perkins, 40, of Glenelg South, moved to Adelaide from the UK in 2002 and has two Australian-born children with husband Andrew.
She joined the Meteors Triathlon Club several years ago because it sounded like an "Aussie thing to do".
After barely being able to swim a lap of the pool when she started, she has qualified to represent Australia in the 40-44-year-old sprint distance category.
"My main group of friends is now with the Meteors," she says.
"It is such a welcoming group. It's incredibly supportive and a great way to meet new people."
Husband-and-wife team Parker and Hubball also say the Meteors, under the coaching of Leon Holme, played an important role in helping them settle into Australia.
Leavold, of McLaren Flat, has been in the sport only a year but has qualified to represent Australia in the 30-34 age group.
Like Perkins she could barely swim a lap when she started but is now considered a top-20 chance.
Her English-born grandmother hopes she doesn't excel too much.
"She will come and support me but she will be carrying an English flag," Leavold says.
"She still considers me English."