FITNESS fanatic Dr Stephen Baines has been chosen to represent Team GB in an international championship.
Dr Baines will be donning red white and blue at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Triathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain after being crowned one of the fastest UK triathletes in his age group.
The 52-year-old, who is head of soft tissue surgery at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Shirley, has been taking part in triathlons for three years and has competitive experience and successes under his belt.
He had been a keen swimmer for 25 years and cyclist for 15 years but admits he was never a huge fan of running.
But that all changed when Stephen moved to Solihull and he started joining in with a few of the members of Solihull Triathlon Club.
He said: “After much gentle persuading and encouragement, I decided to start running, with a view to doing a triathlon in May 2016.
“I enjoyed that one so much that I haven’t looked back. I have gone on to do longer and more challenging races.”
“It’s a great feeling to be selected as one of the 20 fastest triathletes in the UK in my age group.
“It’s wonderful to be able to compete with the best triathletes in the world, although the prospect is a little daunting too.”
Stephen has his first race for TeamGB – the aquathon – on May 2 and his second race – the long-distance triathlon – on May 4.
His plans for the rest of the year include two more half-Ironman triathlons.
