(Eleuthera, Bahamas) – With a bout of salmonella behind him, 2-time Pineappleman Sprint Triathlon champion Simon Lowe, will be back to defend his title June 6 in Gregory Town, Eleuthera.
“I was sicker than I have ever been in my life,” said Lowe, 32, of the illness that kept him out of Treasure Cay, Abaco’s triathlon in March. “I was out of training for about a month and when I started again in early February it was very disheartening because it felt like I was starting again from scratch. After a few weeks though I felt the fitness coming back and I am now pretty much where I was before the illness happened.”
Lowe’s biggest challenge will most likely come from fellow New Providence native Dorian Roach, 39 and Grand Bahama’s Romeo Seymour, 43. Seymour, who took second in Abaco, has been lighting up the Pineappleman Sprint Triathlon group page on Facebook and it’s no secret he’s gunning for Lowe, who’s at the top of a list of emerging Bahamian triathletes.
Lowe, who narrowly missed the course record last year, sounds like he’s ready for the challenge, and is using local races like the Pineappleman – a 500-meter swim, 16-kilometer bicycle and 5k run – to prepare for a longer term goal.
“I do think that we need to try and get Bahamian triathletes into international competitions like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games,” said Lowe via email. “I don’t think there are currently any Bahamian triathletes at the Olympic level, but I think there are some who could potentially make it to the Commonwealths. It’s a goal of mine to try and make it to the 2018 Commonwealths in Australia. Obviously I would not be finishing near the front, but just to qualify and finish the race would be awesome.”
Registration for the Pineappleman – part of the annual Pineapple Festival – is ongoing. As well as a sprint triathlon, race day events include a 5K fun run/walk event and two junior events: an aquathlon and 400-meter run. Interested persons may contact race director Tom Glucksmann at tom@bahamasadventures.com or phone 335-0349.
