It’s been a whirlwind of a month for Berwick Para triathlete Jack Howell.
While racing in the first of many World Triathlon Para races in Europe, Howell was travelling strongly, moving into the bike leg in fourth position before disaster hit.
But instead of sulking at what could have been, Howell found solace in supporting others.
“I was having a great race in Besancon, France, I was in fourth position coming out of the swim and starting to gain on third position at the start of the bike leg,” Howell recalled.
“Then my rear tyre blew, it went with a bang and debeaded with force… my heart sank, but I rode the bike to the wheel station which wasn’t too far up the hill.
“I changed my wheel quickly and got back in the race, only to get another flat tyre at the top of the hill… I was out of the race.
“I was frustrated and disappointed, but as I sat on the side of the road waiting for the assist vehicle I started thinking about the next race in Spain, what an awesome experience it was to be in France representing my country, and how flat tyres are the one thing out of my control.
“I reset and decided to make the most of it and cheer on my competitors as they finished the race.”
After recording a DNF in Besancon, Howell then endured the nervous wait to see if he was asked to compete in a following race in Montreal as his then rank was just outside the number of competitors invited.
And as he is in a race with time to improve his ranking, the teenager has to remain race fit for longer than most.
“Para triathlon start lists are only announced four weeks before a race, so I only found out about the Spain race a couple of weeks before leaving Australia,” he explained.
“I found out I was selected for Montreal after the France race… I had to re-book all of my flights home and change lots of bookings.
“I trained as if I was going to go to Spain and Montreal, because if I didn’t make those races I could always take a break, but if I was selected, I was going to be ready.”
Howell proceeded to collect bronze in Spain, finishing on the podium in his World Triathlon Para Cup debut and beating the then world number two – in his category – Ronan Cordeiro from Brazil.
In Montreal, Howell debuted in the World Triathlon Para Series and defeated Cordeiro again to place fourth.
“Beating Ronan Cordeiro twice – the world ranked number two in the PST5 category – was an awesome feeling,” he revealed.
“I have a lot of respect for Ronan as a competitor, he is strong and consistent, so to be beating him this early in my international racing showed me that I have the potential to be a competitive athlete on the world stage in the near future.”
While keeping race fit without knowing whether he will be racing requires an extensive mental and physical training load, Howell isn’t short of finding motivation.
“I have been waiting for two years to race internationally, due to Covid, so this was my chance to show the world what I’ve got,” he said.
“I was focused on chasing down every competitor in front of me, especially in the run.
“I knew I was a faster runner than many of the other athletes and the run was where I gave it everything, leaving nothing in the tank.”
As the chaotic travel slows down – for now – Howell is extremely grateful for his adventures over the last couple of months at such a young age.
“It’s been a whirlwind of different countries in such a short time, I wasn’t expecting to have so many race starts this early,” he said.
“I really enjoyed the scenery of France and Spain, but my favourite country would have to be Spain… the easy-going lifestyle in Girona and Banyoles, the deep blue waters of Banyoles lake and riding the Pyrenees Mountains are my favourite memories.”
Howell is now building towards the World Championships in Abu Dhabi at the end of November.
