A BASINGSTOKE dad will represent Great Britain at the Triathlon World Championships in Canada.

Gareth Sylvester-Bradley, who lives in Cowslip Bank, Lychpit, qualified for the British team with a good performance at the Nottingham Triathlon. He will compete in the sprint event at the championships, which take place in Edmonton next month, swimming 750m, cycling 20km and running 5km.

“I am really pleased to have qualified,” the father-of-two said. “It will be an amazing experience. Running across the blue carpet at the finish will be incredible and I am really looking forward to it.

“Last year was the first time I tried to reach the worlds, but they were in Hyde Park, which massively increased the profile in this country.

“I wasn’t able to qualify for the triathlon, but took part in the aquathon, which is just swimming and running. To wear the GB kit and perform on the same stage as the Brownlee brothers was amazing.

“To qualify for the triathlon this time is even better. It’s the highest level of competition that an amateur athlete like me can compete in.”

Sylvester-Bradley competes in the shorter sprint distance so he can fit his training around family life and his job at Sony, in Viables.

“To be competitive at the Olympic distance, you need to put more hours in every week than it is possible for me to achieve,” 38-year-old said. “I decided that I wanted to be competitive at the sprint distance before I contemplated moving up.

“I can train for the shorter distances during my lunch break or in the evenings, without it getting in the way of other things.”

Sylvester-Bradley is currently looking for sponsors to help fund his trip to Canada, while he would also like to take the opportunity to raise money for charity. More details can be found on his website at trialog.waxwing.co.uk.