Dan Wilson started competing in triathlons at the age of 13 and aims to make it to Rio this year.

DAN WILSON first competed in a triathlon at the age of 13 . It wasn’t long before he had ‘caught the bug’ and he has gone on to be placed in several high-profile events as well as qualifying for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

In this exclusive interview Dan talks to us about some of his biggest successes in the sport as well as his ambition to qualify for the Olympics at Rio this year.

When did you first realise you had a passion for triathlon and could you tell us about any early sporting successes you had when growing up?

I didn’t have too many sporting successes early in life – I was consistently ok at everything I did, but never fantastic at anything, which makes sense if you think that I eventually chose a sport that requires being decent at three sports, rather than great at one!

My first triathlon was when I was 13 years old, it at the time it hurt too much to say that I had a passion for it, but the the years that followed I found that I really enjoyed the training and racing.

Who have been your biggest supporters and mentors during your triathlon career?

My coach and the older athletes I trained during my years as a young athlete have been a big influence on how I train and approach the sport. Aside form them, my family and partner have supported me with much interest and enthusiasm over the years – one of my aunts has been to almost every World Championships I’ve ever raced at!

Dan’s proudest triathlon moment to date was qualifying for the Australian team to race at the the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

What have been some of your biggest triathlon successes and what are you currently training for?

Qualifying for the Australian team to race at the the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 has been one of my proudest moments as an athlete. I’m aiming at making the Australian team for the Rio Olympics this year, we have our selection race in a few weeks time, so fingers crossed I can deliver a good performance there!

In which discipline of triathlon do you excel at and in which area do you have to work the hardest?

Triathlon is a real juggling act, you work hard at one area and something else drops off a bit, so there’s usually one of the disciplines that needs a bit of work, and hopefully at least one that’s going okay! The big challenge is trying to get them all going well on the one day for a competition!

Tell us about life outside of triathlon and some of the career qualifications you have gained?

I enjoy my music, and brewing a lightly roasted speciality coffee – I’ve even just bought a coffee roaster to try to roast my own beans! Outside of that, I’ve got a degree in applied science, and am completing my honours degree in psychology, and hope to qualify for postgraduate study in psychology next year!

What would you words be to anyone inspired or motivated by your achievements or someone who is thinking about starting out in triathlon themselves?

Have fun! It’s a really enjoyable sport, and one that is really satisfying to start out in, the motivation you get from improving the more you do can be very addictive!