Lean Teen Triathlon Machine 

( TELEGRAPH ARTICLE )

Don't all teenagers crawl out of bed at slob-o'clock then drift downstairs for Pop-Tarts and a doze? Not Hollie Avil, 17. "I get up at 4.30am four days a week to go swimming before school," she says brightly. Then she confesses: "Other days, I lie in until 7.30." Avil is a World Junior Champion triathlete and is happy to spend 22 tough hours per week training for the sport.

	Saddle soar: 17-year-old Hollie Avil trains for 22 hours every week

She is part of a growing rush of triathlon newcomers (participation rose by 36 per cent last year) and young Britons who tasted European triumph at under 17, under 20 and under 23 level last year.

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In part, at least, this is driven by television coverage of major events like the London Triathlon, which drew almost 10,000 competitors last summer.

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"It's a unique event," says 2006 British Women's champion Helen Tucker, from Bridgend. "Some people associate it with events like the pentathlon, but it's different because it's continuous - swim, bike, run. The best thing is that you can usually take something positive from any race. Even if you've posted a poor time, it may be that your second transition was the best you've ever done. It's hard to get it all wrong with triathlons."

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But the physical demands are daunting. The standard Olympic distance involves swimming 1500m, biking 40km then running 10km. Luckily for beginners, there's a shorter distance - the "sprint", which halves these figures - plus a starter level involving a 400m swim, 10km cycle and 5km run.

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Getting involved is easy. Norman Brook, retiring head of governing body British Triathlon, says there are now 335 associated clubs in Britain staging 500 events a year. "Everyone has experience of swimming, cycling and running, so it's very accessible," he says.

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Over the past few years, up to £1million per year has been spent finding top youngsters and ushering them into the elite squad. Avil was one such. Identified at 15 as a swimmer who was also good at cross-country running, she was urged to put the sports together and add a bike.

Helen Tucker advises joining a club, especially for swimming, "because on your own, it's boring, and it's hard to get lane-time in this country".

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Also, she says, it is a very friendly sport. "When I first started I was surprised by how open even international competitors were."