In July this year we welcomed back competitors of all abilities to take part in our annual triathlon, from children’s distances to adult sprints, intermediates and professional triathletes.

This year one competitor stood out from the rest and has gained national and international recognition following his outstanding and inspirational performance. Eight year old Bailey Matthews from Doncaster suffers from Cerebral Palsy and took on the extraordinary challenge of completing his first triathlon.

He was cheered over the line after tackling a 100m lake swim, 4,000m cycle and 1,300m run and the crowd roared as Bailey stepped away from his walking support to finish the last 20 metres of the race unaided.

Since completing the race Bailey has gone on to appear in national and international publications as well as on BBC and ITV breakfast news and has become a viral sensation online with his catchphrase #BeMoreBailey being tweeted thousands of times. 

At the end of September Bailey’s incredible bravery and determination were recognised when he was awarded the Most Courageous Child of the Year award at the ITV Pride of Britain awards. He was presented with his award by athletes including Tom Daley, Rebecca Adlington, Greg Rutherford and Victoria Pendleton and went on to meet David Beckham backstage. Well done Bailey!