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The T-100 World Tour Triathlon is coming to town. It's London's turn to host this epic event
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With its historic landmarks and vibrant streets, London is the perfect backdrop for the T-100's thrilling challenges
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And this is elite British triathlete, Lucy Charles Berkeley. Lucy has won multiple triathlon titles
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and is known for her incredible swimming skills. We catch up with Lucy
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while she coaches a group of swimmers, training for their first T-100 triathlon
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at the London Aquatic Centre. I definitely say my strongest discipline
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is in the swim. I swear I've had my background. As a kid, I was a swimmer
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I also competed for Great Britain. I train here at the London Aquatic Centre most mornings
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probably about five or six times a week. Swimming 50 metre definitely helps a lot
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for just really kind of fine-tuning the stroke, and it's a little bit more similar to open water
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A world-class pool for the 2012 Olympics, the London Aquatic Centre offers modern facilities for all levels from beginners to pros It also quite cold in here because they do competitions I think nearly every weekend so they have to set it to competition pool temperature
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but it's still probably going to be warmer than the lakes in the UK. This is an ideal environment for triathletes to train and compete to an elite standard
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I think for most amateur athletes, the swim is the most daunting. It's maybe where you've had the least experience
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or you may have swimming in a pool before but you've never been in the open water. Even some elite pro swimmers
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never wanted to make the switch to open water because they liked the black line on the bottom
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seeing where you're going, whereas I'm seeing a lake or in the sea you can't always see the bottom
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and I actually always found it more enjoyable. I felt like the distance went a lot quicker in open water
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So if you can find that love for it, I think you will really enjoy it. After leaving the London Aquatic Centre
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we joined Lucy at her next training session. With only a short while to go before competition time
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we headed over to the Velley Park in Stratford. We met up with Lucy in between laps
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and was great hearing more about Lucy and her inspiring sports journey In Finland obviously I grew up doing it I dedicated my whole childhood to that sport And then when I didn make the London Olympics
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I made the switch to triathlon, just thinking it would be a bit of fun. So I never could have dreamt of the success I have achieved in this sport
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And yeah, it just feels like a really great opportunity that I managed to kind of just jump into
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with no real intention of being a professional athlete. I just like to have a real positive impact
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So I like to inspire the next generation. in sports, particularly the female athletes
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Like I wear my battle braids when I race and then I see young girls wearing their battle braids
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when they're doing sports day at school or maybe they're doing their first ever running event or triathlon
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and that just makes me feel really happy. So I think as long as I lead some kind of positive legacy
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then I'll be really happy. We are racing to our absolute limit
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and over this distance, we're racing for three and a half hours
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on the limit. So to see people peeking on the line, it doesn't surprise me. We really are pushing
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the boundaries of human performance. I think as athletes we love it The fans absolutely love it It makes for great watching I think this is what the T is bringing to the world of sport It the top 20 females top 20 men where we are just pushing it as far as we can We have the London Marathon here and it such a big event it grown and grown
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And more and more people want to get involved in sport. Triathlon has swim bike and run
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and most people might have a background or some experience in one of those free sports
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so why not tie it in and do a triathlon? I think it's the best thing. I knew London was important to me being a home race
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I just wanted to put a little bit more training for this one and be ready for the home crowd and, yeah, to race in our home city
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My friends and family don't often get to come and watch me race in person
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so for them to be able to come down the road and watch me race around London, so exciting
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But I think also more people into sport and fitness than triathlon is growing so much
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particularly in the cities. The London T-100 takes place at the Excel Centre, Royal Victoria Dock
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from Saturday 27th of July to Sunday 28th July. Spectating is both encouraged and free
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I think as an athlete, we work so hard every single day
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and then when you can see athletes achieve their dream, it's just really special to witness that
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Just to be glad, you want to see your rival as puke. Ideally not me peaking, but yeah
