WARRIOR

It’s a busy summer for Team GB triathlete Sophie Coldwell, but once the Commonwealth Games are done and dusted, her eyes are firmly on the 2024 Paris Olympics

Words: Rachel Ifans

Sophie loves her run training because she can take her dogs with her and get out on the trails

The first time I ever really respected a performance was Dame Kelly Holmes with the double Olympic. It was the first time that I was like, holy shit, that is impressive. I appreciated how amazing it was, and the story that she had, and the things that she had gone through – that was inspiring.”

This issue’s Warrior, triathlete Sophie Coldwell, was only nine years old when Dame Kelly won two gold medals at Athens Olympics in 2004 (for the 800m and 1500m) and, although her role models have become more tri-specific over the years, Kelly is the one who ignited the spark in this young female athlete – and many more besides!

During her formative years in the senior team, Sophie spent her time with the likes of triathletes Vicki Holland and Non Stanford who really paved the way for her generation of female triathlon competitors. She loved seeing how they raced and performed, and also how they dealt with the pressure of big competitions like Rio Olympics in 2016.

She recalls: “When I went to my first Commies [Commonwealth Games] in 2018, I room-shared with Vicki. At the time, she was the only woman we had who had won an Olympic medal. She’d been world champion and had all these World Series medals, and I was room-sharing with her. It was a chance to properly learn from her and see how she did things.”

From Canada to Birmingham

Sophie, now 27, has gone on to become a very successful triathlete herself, competing in the women’s event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and winning medals in International Triathlon Union (ITU) and European Triathlon Union (ETU)