'I represented Team GB for the first time aged 67'

A man who represented Team GB at a triathlon in Qatar said he was "really pleased" he took the opportunity to compete on an international stage.

Mark Burtonshaw, who lives near Thirsk, travelled to Lusail for the T100 Triathlon World Championships in December, competing in temperatures of up to 32C (90F).

The 67-year-old finished sixth in his age category after completing a 2km (1.24m) swim followed by an 80km (49.7m) bike ride and an 18km (11.18m) run.

He said taking part made him realise no one was "too old" to challenge themselves, adding: "I'm a grey-haired pensioner now – I started doing triathlons 18 years ago, and I never thought I'd represent GB at anything."

Burtonshaw said when he had first qualified for the event he was hesitant about taking part.

He said: "My initial thought was, I don't know if I want to go to Qatar [it's] too far, too hot.

"But then a couple of weeks later, I thought if I don't go, I'll never get a chance a chance to represent GB again, probably, so took the plunge and [I'm] really pleased I did."

He said the swim, which took place in the Persian Gulf, was so warm it was "like a bath", and he did not need a wetsuit, which he said was a boost as "I'm terrible at taking it off".

"You see the pros just kick their feet up and get it straight off; it takes me ages and ages to, so at least I didn't have to bother with that in Qatar."

Although he used to run marathons when he was younger, he did not take part in triathlons and other endurance events until later in life.

"I thought, I'll just do one – and I got the bug, it does get you like that," he explained.

"The camaraderie, and the banter you have at triathlons is really good."

"I didn't do any running from the mid-1980s to about 2008," he said.

"I've heard people say, 'I'm 40, I'm too old to do that' – you're not.

"You do hear about people who take up running in their 60s or 70s, there's some amazing people."

Burtonshaw added that there was another advantage to competing at an older age - smaller numbers of competitors in each age category.

"That's one things about triathlons, the older you get, the better chance you have at doing alright," he said.

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