Veronica Green-Jones only tried aquathlon for the first time in 2022, a year later she was a European champion.
The 42-year-old was encouraged to compete by a friend from her triathlon club, meaning she was no stranger to swimming and running.
But the mother-of-three from Buckinghamshire was a natural, qualifying for the World and European Championships in the 40-44 age group at the first attempt, before taking European gold in Belgium just a few months later.
Green-Jones, who only got into sport as an adult, is determined to continue making up for lost time.
“The founder of my triathlon club suggested I have a go at an aquathlon qualifying race in 2022,” she explained.
“I have to admit, I didn’t know about the Age-Group teams before that point, but the more I read about them from then on in, the more I thought it sounded like the inspiring set-up it is. I love the combination of doing an individual sport, but with a team spirit.
“I think it’s a bit like a good marriage being based on friendship. Swimming, running and I have been friends for a very long time, and now that we get to take things a bit more seriously together, that initial love is still there.
“It all starts with wanting to do the training and having appropriate training plans.
“I must thank my husband for pretty much accepting that this multisport love of mine is here to stay. He does some weekly childcare so I can fit in the training sessions.”
The Great Britain Age-Group Team consists of close to 3,500 British Triathlon Core and Ultimate members each year, all of whom have qualified to represent the team.
Green-Jones’ training plans have come with their fair share of challenges, with the 42-year-old balancing her sporting ambitions with three sons under the age of ten, work, and everything else life has to offer.
But that did little to halt her progress, with Green-Jones fully immersed in the world of aquathlon and set to defend her European title in Coimbra, Portugal this year.
“It’s exciting and pushes your performance,” she added. “You get to compete at a high level, but against people of your own age and gender. If you missed out in your younger years, it’s a great way for that part of you to have an airing.
“Much illness during my childhood and teens meant I didn’t join in the usual rites of passage, such as swimming or running clubs, but I’ve always loved being on the move since I could walk as a toddler and have taken myself swimming and running for decades, but just as part of my daily life.
“I love meeting new people and hearing about their stories too. Where else can you joke about swim exits you have known and other people actually find it interesting?
“It is also helpful for other parts of your life. Going into a job interview recently, I had a sudden flashback to being in the water waiting for the race horn to blow.
“That same race self-talk came in - ‘just breathe and focus’. The interview went well and I got the job.”
British Triathlon Core and Ultimate Home Nation members who are British citizens are eligible to qualify and race for the Great Britain Age-Group Team. Each year there are a series of qualification races and opportunities to represent the team in a variety of disciplines and distances that are only open to members.
Find out more about the Great Britain Age-Group Team and British Triathlon Home Nation Members by clicking on the buttons below.
