The grandmother who started doing triathlons in her late 50s
Sue Kingston won gold at the Madrid Europe Triathlon Championships
- Published
A Scottish grandmother who competed in her first triathlon in her late 50s has won an award for best performance from Triathlon Scotland.
Sue Kingston competed in the 70-75 age bracket in three international triathlon events this year, winning gold and silver medals for Great Britain.
The 70-year-old began her athletic journey aged 58, when she started swimming with the New Haven Triathlon Club in Edinburgh.
She said: ''I just joined the club to swim and it then grew from there with other people around me doing it.
''I did my first triathlon in my late 50s and it was just half way through the swimming, I said to myself: 'I can't do this'.
''Its a matter of the more you do it the more you understand how it feels.''
Sue took up training six days a week along with babysitting her two grandchildren as her normal routine.
Running is her strongest activity, but she swims 750m, cycles 20km and runs 5km in most competitions.
Sue and her husband David have competed in different categories at a number of international competitions
Sue had to compete and qualify in Scotland before being able to represent Great Britain in international triathlons.
After 12 years of rigorous training, 2023 would be her year.
In June, she won gold in the sprint distance event at the Europe Triathlon Championships in Madrid.
She said: ''I feel a lot more nervous in a triathlon because there is a lot more things that can go wrong, especially on the bike.
''What made it difficult is when I finished cycling and then had to run, my legs felt like jelly.
''I pushed myself very hard in that race even though I felt very uncomfortable.''
Sue and her grandchildren, wearing the medals she won this year
She followed this by finishing ninth place in the World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Hamburg this summer, where she also won a sliver medal with the British mixed relay team.
Sue's coach, Alan Bremner, said: ''She has been determined for a very long time and has worked many years for this.
''She finishes all the weekly programmes I give her, which shows she perseveres and never gives up.''
Her best performance accolade at the Triathlon Scotland Awards was measured across all categories.
Sue Kingston won a silver medal with the British mixed relay team in Hamburg
Sue said she was "shocked and delighted" to receive the award.
"My coach Alan Bremner won athlete of the year in 2015, when he was world champion.
''I am delighted to win a similar trophy as him.''
She added: ''The triathlon is such a friendly community, people can do it at any level.
''Just being able to finish it is a great achievement, you don't have to win gold.''