‘COMPLETELY overwhelmed’ was how Tavistock triathlete Trish Deykin described being presented with British Triathlon’s top accolade, previously won by Olympic, Paralympic and world athletes.

The British Triathlon president made a trip to Tavistock on Sunday to present Trish, 43, who suffers with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the Peter Holmes Award for Inspirational Performance in International Competition, following her triumphant win at the Glasgow 2018 ETU Triathlon European Chamionships.

This makes her the first amateur triathlete to win the award.

The award, which has previously been presented to double Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee, Paralympic champion Andy Lewis and 2011 world champion Non Stanford, is presented annually to a triathlete having shown determination and sporting prowess while competing at the highest level.

Trish was diagnosed with MS in 2004 two years after she first began taking part in triathletes for fun.

Since that time, due to her illness, Trish has had to medically retire from her job as a crime scene investigator and took a break from triathlons, but after receiving a new form of treatment she was soon back on her bike and in the water competing again.

She has since gained a number of international titles and received a prestigious accolade in the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration at the Sunday Times’ Sportswoman of the Year event at the end of 2018.

On receiving the latest award from British Triathlon, Trish said: ‘It’s just crazy, I can’t believe it. It’s all gone a bit mad on social media.

‘It’s completely overwhelming — I think it’s the only award that British Triathlon give out now and I’m the first ever age group competitor to have ever received this award. I just assumed only elite athletes got it but it’s just me at the end of the day —I just can’t fathom it.’

Trish was nominated for the award by Nicky Dick from British Triathlon and was presented with the award by the president of the association when they met up in Church Lane in Tavistock.

The award follows her most recent win in Glasgow where she beat all other female age group triathletes by a huge two minutes and 40 seconds.

‘I could have run faster that day but my left leg was tingling [a symptom of her MS]. I knew I was in front so I just stayed at that pace,’ she said.

‘Someone filmed me going over the finish line, then wondered where everyone else was behind me!’

Trish, who lives in Milton Coombe, first got into triathlons by being approached by a British Triathlon talent spotter while she was working out in the gym. She thought she would ‘give it a go’, borrowed a bike and won her first event.

She now trains nearly every day, running, biking and swimming at Mount Kelly.

‘I just love triathlons and I love keeping active,’ she said.

Pictures by James Bird.