A porter at a retirement village in Westbury-on-Trym has become the Quadrathlon World Champion over two distances for his age group.
Jules Taylor, 63 won both the 2024 Middle Distance Quadrathlon World Championship and 2024 Long Course Quadrathlon World Championship in the over 60s category.
Jules said: “I really did enjoy competing in both events and was very proud of my results, particularly in Hungary. It had been years since I did a long distance event and combined with the 35 degree heat, it was very challenging.”
While triathletes compete in three disciplines, quadrathletes combine cycling swimming and running with kayaking.
For the Middle Distance Quadrathlon World Championship held in Lincolnshire, Jules completed a 1.5 km swim, 30 km bike, 7 km kayak and 9.3 km run in a time of 2 hours and 51 minutes.
At the Long Course Quadrathlon World Champion held in Hungary, Jules claimed his second world title with a 2.6 km swim, 20 km kayak, 62 km bike and 21.1 km run in a time of 6 hours and 59 minutes.
Jules is sponsored by the St Monica Trust, where he works as a porter at Westbury Fields Retirement Village.
He said: “I was working as a personal trainer when all the gyms shut during lockdown. I needed something to do to keep me occupied and saw an opportunity to volunteer with the St Monica Trust.
“As I got more stuck in, I thought – I really like this – and it’s great interacting with all the residents who are so supportive of what I’m doing. When the chance of a permanent position came up I jumped at it.”
St Monica Trust’s director of retirement villages Roger Hayward said: “What Jules achieved last year would be a staggering achievement at any age, but even more so when you consider he is almost old enough to be one of our residents.
“He is a constant source of inspiration for our residents at Westbury Fields – and vice versa – as I know that some of them enjoy working out with Jules when he is using the onsite gym or running around the cricket pitch in his lunch hour.”
Jules’s 2024 world championship victories added to the Overall National Champion title, which he won by competing in four quadrathlon races in the UK, winning against quadrathletes who were half his age.
He only started competing in quadrathlons in 2022, having previously competed in half-marathons, marathons, triathlons, Ironman events, ultra distance kayaking and 24hr ultra running.
“I’ve always been competitive and always felt the drive to be doing something. It doesn’t matter what, as long as I enjoy it and can be good at it,” he said.
Jules said: “I’d like to thank the St Monica Trust for sponsoring me.
“I’d also like to thank all the residents at Westbury Fields for their support and inspiration. Every day they remind me that if you keep using what you’ve got, then you never lose it and that it’s always possible to improve – no matter what age you are.”