A locally-based athlete is currently enjoying a well-earned rest after representing Great Britain in the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Vichy, France at the beginning of September.
Akhil Viz, 24, is originally from Gibraltar but has been based in Bristol since October 2011. He lives in Patchway and works as an Aerospace Engineer at Atkins Global on the Aztec West Business Park.
The ultra-distance sportsman was selected for the GB team after a good showing in the 2012 UK Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mile swim + 112 mile bike + 26 mile run).
An excellent performance in Vichy saw Akhil finish 6th within his age group and 189th overall (out of around 700 entrants) in a total time of 10 hours and 48 minutes.
Prior to the event, Akhil took two weeks off work to go home to Gibraltar and focus on his final training. Over the fortnight he swam 25km, cycled 1,100km and ran 72km!
Writing on his blog, Akhil describes the “time-crunched” nature of a triathlete’s life, which in his case involves juggling 10 to 15 hours training with a full-time job. His daily regime involves waking up at 4.30am to fit in 2-3 hours of training before work.
Akhil’s goals for the next couple of years include running 100 miles and swimming 10km. “When will I pursue them? I do not know, but those targets are there at the back of my mind,” he says.
“I will definitely do another half and full Ironman next summer, but have yet to decide on which races. There is a lot for me to think about and I have to reset and refocus on my priorities.”
“In the long term, I would love to represent Gibraltar at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The qualifying standards are high but I am up for the challenge!”
Read more: My Ironman Journey (Blog by Akhil Viz)
