A DAY IN THE LIFE

What exactly does it take to train for paratriathlon? And how does the training differ depending on the athlete’s disability? Keen to find out, we joined pro paratriathletes, and couple IRL, Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis for a behind-the-scenes look at an average day’s training…

- Kate Milsom

Heaven on a plate for professional athletes, Loughborough University boasts some of the world's top training facilities and is the proud home of British Triathlon. From the blue depths of the vast Olympic pool, to one of the country's largest strength and conditioning gyms, it's no wonder that this quiet market town is where decorated Paralympians Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis have chosen to put down roots.

With the racing season well underway, we joined the couple to get an idea of what a full day of training as elite paratriathletes looks like. We got to know the close-knit paratri squad and witnessed the immense volume of training (and food) the athletes put away on a daily basis.

Claire and Dave are both passionate ambassadors for para sport and are all about increasing exposure and awareness. Born without a left forearm, Claire became a para swimmer at an early age and started collecting her eight Paralympic medals at just 16.

Since transitioning across to paratriathlon only five years ago, Claire's powered her way to the top of the sport in the PTS5 class. Rarely far from the top of the podium, Claire has achieved some of the highest accolades in the sport, including two world titles, European gold and Paralympic bronze.

Dave became classifiable as visually impaired in 2006 after starting to lose his vision aged 16. He now has less than 10% vision and races with guide Luke Pollard in the PTVI class. Also from a swimming background, Dave's been racing paratri for over nine years, during which he's won European, world and national titles four times. This season, he's got a new target in his sights, the Commonwealths.