8:00pm Friday 3rd September 2010
A FORMER Olympic cyclist from Malvern is returning to international competition for the first time in 10 years this weekend alongside her younger brother.
Ceris Styler, 30, represents Great Britain beside James Gilfillan at the World Duathlon Championships.
The gruelling Edinburgh contest is made up of a 10-kilometre run, 40km bike ride and a further 5km run. At the Sydney games, competing under her maiden name of Gilfillan, Styler finished 14th in the women’s cycling individual time trial.
She also came 27th in the women’s individual road race.
But, despite her pedigree, it took some persuasion to tempt her to this latest challenge.
“It was James who helped me decide to take part,” she said.
“We have done so many races together as we have grown up, so it won’t be new, but it’ll be great to be representing Great Britain together with our family there to watch and cheer us on.
“I have been back in training since last September, doing smaller triathlons and duathlons, but I do still get really nervous and on the starting line I’m wondering why I do it. But the finishing feeling makes you realise how good it is.
“The fact that it was in Edinburgh, and not the other side of the world, made it hard to resist and, in the end, we thought we’d go for it.”
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