I am very proud to say that I am a Great Britain Age Group Aquathlete/Triathlete and I will be competing this year at the following races:

ETU European Sprint Triathlon Championships

ITU  Almere World Aquathlon Championships

British Aquathlon Championships

National Sprint Triathlon Championships

As an age grouper, we have to pay for the privilege to compete for our country. Any contribution towards helping me to get to these events I would be so grateful. I am currently the 2019 European and National Aquathlon Age Group Champion and had qualified for the Age Group GB Triathlon team  for the 2020 ETU European Triathlon Championships which now will go ahead this year, where I am to target the podium. This was at my first attempt at triathlons after a great first season in this sport. Unfortunately due to my age I am not eligible for any funding from federations or sporting grants. Triathlon & Aquathlon has huge costs involved and any funding goes to my training costs and getting me to races.

So here is my story:

By way of background, my name is Yiannis Christodoulou, I work full time for the NHS and I am an ambassador for Pilgrims Hospice, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and the Head Coach for Canterbury Harriers.

I am no spring chicken and I am 37 years old; I only started running in 2012 and I could not swim then too. I was inspired by the London 2012 Olympics to do something and get fit, which ended up me joining my local running club, Canterbury Harriers. I didn’t train that regularly until the following year so progress wasn’t quick. I knew if I practiced I could be a lot better and ended up doing that. I knew I was never going to be the fastest in my area, club or be elite. In 2013, I competed in local triathlons but ended up injuring my calf where I struggled for 7 months on and off so I became a coach for my club. The following year I was competing again in triathlons but injured my Achilles and thought I wouldn’t be able to run again. I gave up in Triathlons as I was convinced I would get injured again.

I managed to overcome this and came back slowly which saw me PB in every running race I took part in for a year. In 2015 I qualified as a GB age grouper in Aquathlons for the 2016 European Championships. I turned up to the National Aquathlon championships nervous 2 weeks before the European Championships and I was shocked I came 3^rd in my Age Group at my first big race. Two weeks later I raced at the European Aquathlon Championships and I came 3rd on my debut in my Age Group I was over the moon. 2016 was the start of my multisport journey.

Fast forward, I won my Age Group at the European Aquathlon Championships in 2019 and I successfully defended my National Aquathlon title in 2019 for the 2^nd time. I have raced at 4 European Championships and 4 World Championships since 2016. I have also captained the Aquathlon team at both these championships. My dream was to qualify for the Triathlon team. I came back into Triathlon in 2019 and I qualified for the GB Age Group team for 2020 but I am now waiting for the race as it was cancelled. I am really looking forward to the European Triathlon Sprint Championships in 2021.

I love the Age Group team, I have made many friends and it’s a great feel good team factor. When you’re out competing at these races you get the buzz of people cheering you on and I also feel very proud and privileged when I race with the GB vest. I invite you to become involved in my journey and to assist me in my development as an athlete.

My goal is simple, I want to podium at the European Sprint Triathlon championships in my Age Group and represent the Triathlon Team. This is my dream and it was a dream when I got into the Triathlon team with the support of individuals and organisations like yours, I can not only try but I can also succeed. I am an aspiring athlete and have no assistance with costs to training, coaching, travel and so on.

I have a huge potential of people I can target; my Instagram account has over 20,000 genuine followers, therefore a very large reach. My Twitter account has over 9,000 followers, my Youtube channel which I recently set up is growing and reached over 1,000 subscribers recently and finally my Blogs get an average of 2,500 visitors a month. Please check out my social media accounts. I regularly help out the local community such as being a guest at Whitstable Junior Parkrun and main Parkrun, school triathlon classes and bringing my medals there to inspire children. I have also organised beach clean ups, helped at events and been a speaker at the London Triathlon show. I am also going to be very involved with Pilgrims Hospice events.  There is plenty of opportunity for exposure at the Triathlon and Aquathlon racing circuit with European and National podium achievements I can guarantee excellent visibility of your brand. I am often in the press; I have also featured on BBC radio and magazines such a Triathlon 220 and have featured in the NHS community magazine that goes out nationwide.

I am now working hard at my goal training six days a week and focusing on my weakest area the bike, as I know this is where I need to improve .I would like to raise up to £2000 to assist with my racing for 2021 and my dream to compete at the World Sprint Triathlon Championships for 2022. With your support it will allow me to have better equipment for races and I will be able to see how much further I can go and with hard work in training the impossible can become the possible.