Steyning AC member: Carol Killick

She started representing Steyning AC in 1978 as a race walker. She has gone on to represent GB in Triathlon in multiple age categories. At the age of 75, she has decided that the Steyning Triathlon in May 2019 will be her last.

Carol started race walking in 1978 when aged 35, to support her kids and other youngsters in Steyning Athletic Club, despite no previous sporting activities. This mushroomed to competing in the senior team at race walking.

From this point to the early 90's she race walked competitively in distances of 5k, 10k. Two marathons, London in 1985, Beachy Head off road twice, place to place walks e.g., Hastings to Brighton, Plymouth to Dawlish.

In 1985 she walked over 100 miles in 24 hrs round a track, becoming a 'Centurion' in the process. To accomplish this she did long training walks up to 60 miles. In the late 1980's she did European and World Veteran events at 5k and 10k and secured several placings in the top 3. Her best Worlds was 3rd and she secured a 1st in one of the European championships.

From 1992 she switched to cycling, and did several Audax continental tours including the French Alps. She was usually cycling a round trip of about 20 miles a day to work, although this was not by the quickest route. Her longest ride in a day was 130 miles.

In October 1997 she had a serious road accident, breaking her back and was hospitalised for 6 weeks. She bounced back from this and resumed race walking and also running.

With the installation of a swimming pool at Steyning in 2000. Several Club members became interested in doing triathlons and Carol wanted a change which represented a new challenge and competing in three disciplines was seen as advantageous to her. Her first open event was the Steyning Sprint triathlon in April 2002 when she was 58. She was the first over 50. Subsequently she has done many UK events and European Championship gaining many awards as below

UK Successes- Olympic distance except sprint (*)
2004 Swanage 2nd over 50
2007 Ellesmere 2nd over 60
2008 Olney 2nd 65-69
2010 Worthing 2nd over 60
2011 Arundel 1st over 50(*)
2011 Bala 1st over 60
2012 Bedford 1st over 60
2013 Steyning 2nd over 50
2013 Bristol 1st over 70(*)

Euro and Worlds Triathlon successes - Olympic distance except sprint (*)
2006 Euros at Autun France 1st in the 60-65
2007 Euros at Copenhagen 2nd in the 60-65
2008 Euros at Lisbon 1st in the 65-69
2013 Euros at Alanya Turkey 1st in the 70-75(*)
2013 Worlds in London 1st in the 70-75(*)

She had a head injury in 2009 which affected her plan to do the 2009 Euros.

After 2014 she restricted herself to UK events, usually with no awards covering her age group. In this period she has incurred more injuries but has managed to compete in UK events up till this year.

She has now decided to discontinue triathlon events after the Steyning Sprint triathlon of May 2019 at 75 years, because of the amount of training and eyesight problems. She is naturally competitive but usually always much older than the other competitors.