Over the next two weeks we’ll be introducing Team Bike Science. First up is Hawaii hopeful it’s Matt Edwards….

“I have been involved in triathlon since 2004, when my rehab from knee surgery and a move to Bristol for work led me to BAD Tri.  Since then I’ve loved racing and training for a whole range of events including all tri distances up to Ironman, multi-day ultra running, bog snorkling, cycling circuit racing and stage races, time trials, mountain biking, adventure racing, quadrathlon and skinny dipping.  I’ve been getting steadily faster over the last few years, and had my first race win at last year’s Eastnor Castle Middle distance.  I’ve raced the World and European Long Course events as part of the GB age group team, and in the last year have taken on some new challenges including the High Peak Marathon, The Green Man Challenge and the European Single Speed Mountain Biking (and cheese eating) Champs.  I have also recently discovered bike touring, having had two epic weeks in the Picos De Europa of Northern Spain in May this year, and am now building a fixation with hefty steel bikes and beardy accessories, to go with my existing penchant for all things carbon and speedy…

For 2011 I am focussing on Ironman Wales on September 11, and with Hawaii qualification slots available I’m hoping to finally nail that run! Preparations are going well with 4th place at the Weymouth Middle Distance my best result so far this year, and my cycling continuing to improve with stronger riding on the Tuesday night Bristol Chain Gang Massacre.   Other races for this season include: the Tri Grand Prix UK, Cotswold 113 and Millfield middle distance triathlons; the Ras de Cymru (5 day cycling stage race); Castle Combe Duathlons and Time Trials.

Outside my own training and racing I am a qualified Development Coach (level 3) for British Triathlon, and I volunteer every week for BAD Tri working with both children and adults.  I also have a number of private clients for triathlon coaching, as well as for Neuro-Linguistic Programming where I am currently training at Master Practitioner level. Inbetween this I work at Bristol University as a Community Sport Development Officer, and also at the Higher Education Funding Council for England.  I am a course tutor for Sports Leaders UK and am in the process of becoming a Coach Education tutor for British Triathlon.”