Lewis keen to return to squad mentality
GUERNSEY’S top triathlete has entered the new year eyeing Welsh comforts and expecting a much more complete season than the last.
As much as Josh Lewis has enjoyed his Christmas stint in Guernsey and his only race outing of 2020 at the Boxing Day Cross-Country, he is due to return to Wales next week to celebrate the birthday of his girlfriend, fellow performance triathlete Issy Morris.
But the Commonwealth Games hopeful is one of the select few eligible for elite athlete dispensation and therefore should be able to train freely, even under lockdown restrictions.
Lewis is ‘over the moon’ to have such options and expects to spend most of the season in the UK.
‘Guernsey is phenomenal to train in and I have really enjoyed training over here and getting into a structure that you can bash out week after week,’ the National Triathlon Performance Centre-based triathlete said.
‘But I need that elite squad set-up for my motivation. It will be quite nice to go back and get that structure and get that squad of elite triathletes to train with.
‘I could definitely do all of my training over here if I wanted to, but I have other things pulling me back to the UK – things like training with the squad, but most importantly, Issy.’
The Ravenscroft-backed Lewis admits that he may return to Guernsey to see his family or if he is unable to gain pool access abroad.
In racing terms, European Cup fixtures are on the cards from April and the British Triathlon Series is set to resume later in the year.
‘I am not thinking that they are 100% going to happen, but I am pretty hopeful that I will be able to race this year and I am relatively confident,’ Lewis added.
Much uncertainty remains, and with it many of Guernsey’s top sportspeople have taken different approaches to 2021.
Track and field’s Chalmers brothers plan to stay locally until summer and Sam Culverwell, Guernsey’s eminent cyclist, will base himself at Trinity Racing’s service course in Belgium if the situation permits.
Swimmer Charlie-Joe Hallett is still on a gap year before university, while footballers Maya Le Tissier and Alex Scott are able to continue with their seasons as things stand.
