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Yiannis Christodoulou – GB Age Group Triathlete

Before 2012 I had no sporting background, I was lazy! But during the 2012 London Olympics I was inspired to get fit, at the age of 29. I started running in September of that year, and joined my local run club, Canterbury Harriers.   At around the same time I also started swimming, I could not swim back then so had to learn which was a big challenge. For a while I didn’t see much progress and was told I looked like a drowning dog! But I stuck at it.

 

In 2015 I started my journey in multisport, taking part in my first Aquathlon, swim to run.  In 2016 I qualified for the British Triathlon Age Group Aquathlon team and continued to compete in Aquathlons for the following 3 years. Then in 2019 I decided to get over my fear of getting injured through cycling and started training for Triathlon.

 

I never thought I would be good at Triathlon, but since starting I have raced at the World and European Triathlon Sprint Championships, and from 2023 I hold the National Middle-Distance and Super Sprint Championship titles in my AG, my best season yet!

What have you learnt and achieved during your sporting journey?

The most important thing I have learnt is to enjoy what I do! No one tells us to do it, and if you’re not loving it then there is no point, when you enjoy it the results happen.

Patience is key, set yourself goals but don’t rush it, everything takes time. Spend time building your endurance, working on your speed, and finding out what training works for you.

Being smart is key, I learnt going hard all the time just breaks you down and you get injured. If you train smart and consistently then you can be the best you can be. It always surprises people when I tell then I do most of my training in zones 1 and 2, easy aerobic training.

In 2023 I came off the back of my best season ever, and I put it down to learning how to enjoy it again. I achieved 6 medals out of 9 National/British Championships in a range of distances and sports. I was also chosen for the British Triathlon Ambassador program, something I am very proud of.  I am also proud to represent GB at age group level, something I though 10 years ago would be a dream come true!

One of my greatest achievements is winning the National Middle-Distance Championships in my AG in my first ever race in that distance.

Yiannis Christodoulou – GB Age Group Triathlete — OTE Sports

What OTE products have you been using during this time?

Before I was a British Ambassador I never used products for training or races, just water for me. I felt like I didn’t need them for sprint distance races, and only ever used a carb drink in my first Olympic Distance race.

However, after entering my first middle-distance Triathlon race, I was concerned how I was going to fuel for a triathlon the right way. After talking to team at OTE they helped me to prepare and plan for this race.  As this was my first race of 2023, it made me realise the benefit from taking on nutrition, so I then used them for every race since, even the short distances.

For both training and racing I have been using the OTE super carb energy drinks, super gels, standard gels, and caffeine gels. My favourite flavours are blackcurrant and berry. I also use the hydro tabs too; Blackcurrant is my favourite. I found the hydro tabs very effective for me, especially a few days before races and for travelling to keep you hydrated.

I love the Apple and Cinnamon bars which are my favourite but enjoy all the flavours. I use them for long bike rides and after sessions, as well as the duo bars to get something to eat straight after a session quickly.

The middle-distance race was a big thing for me, and I like to think I got it right on the day, with the help and advice from OTE. For this race I had a bottle of super carb drink on my bike, with a super gel also inside it. I took a caffeine gel in transition before the run and had two normal gels during the run, with another caffeine gel around 20 minutes before the end of the run.

In the Sprint Triathlons I now take the super Carb drink on the bike and have a normal gel before the run. An Olympic distance triathlon is similar, but with an additional super gel on the bike.

I practice taking gels on the bike and runs during my long bike rides and runs, leading towards a big race. This year I will be taking on the London Marathon and have been practising my nutrition already.

Yiannis Christodoulou – GB Age Group Triathlete — OTE Sports

What have you learnt and achieved during your sporting journey?

The most important thing I have learnt is to enjoy what I do! No one tells us to do it, and if you’re not loving it then there is no point, when you enjoy it the results happen.

Patience is key, set yourself goals but don’t rush it, everything takes time. Spend time building your endurance, working on your speed, and finding out what training works for you.

Being smart is key, I learnt going hard all the time just breaks you down and you get injured. If you train smart and consistently then you can be the best you can be. It always surprises people when I tell then I do most of my training in zones 1 and 2, easy aerobic training.

In 2023 I came off the back of my best season ever, and I put it down to learning how to enjoy it again. I achieved 6 medals out of 9 National/British Championships in a range of distances and sports. I was also chosen for the British Triathlon Ambassador program, something I am very proud of.  I am also proud to represent GB at age group level, something I though 10 years ago would be a dream come true!

One of my greatest achievements is winning the National Middle-Distance Championships in my AG in my first ever race in that distance.

Yiannis Christodoulou – GB Age Group Triathlete — OTE Sports

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