Matthew Nelson Athlete Ambassador

Matthew is a triathlete who has trained hard to secure the win at an Ironman event. He talks to Sundried about camaraderie and what it takes to be a good triathlete. 

Have you always been into sport?

I have been into sport for as long as I can remember but didn't take it too seriously until I was around 22. I started as a swimmer and then progressed to triathlon as I wanted a change; I was bored of just swimming, it is not the most sociable sport and after so many years I had just had enough of it. Triathlon had elements of sports I knew I was already quite good at so it seemed like a good route to follow.

What’s been your best race to date?

My favourite race so far has been a biathlon I did in Dubai back in 2012. It was on the Marina front and was just a spectacular destination for a race, hosted by the Jumeriah Beach Hotel. It was a great experience.

And your proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement was winning Ironman Warsaw 5150. I had to overcome a lot of adversity in that race to come away with the win so was pleased just to make the start line, let alone win. A fellow Sundried ambassador, Luke Lambert, was instrumental in helping me win that race and I can't thank him enough.

Have you ever had any racing disasters / your toughest race yet?

I had a nasty crash in China last Sunday which was not ideal; I managed to get back up and finish the race so it was not a total disaster. I try and plan everything very carefully to avoid anything really bad happening. But when things go wrong I always take the time to reflect back on what happened. Analyse what went wrong and why it went wrong and what I can do in the future to avoid such things happening again. I also go through things with my coach and put in preventative measures to stop disasters happening.

What is the best bit of advice you wish someone had told you before you started competing?

My best bit of advice to anyone doing sport is to make sure you enjoy it. As seriously as you may train, and as much as you want to do well, you ultimately have to love doing it. If you do, you will want to train harder and will enjoy the success more. 

Who do you take your inspiration from?

I was inspired to take part in triathlon after watching the Brownlee brothers in the 2012 Olympics. Those guys changed the way the sport developed and how athletes race it. 

What do you like about Sundried and what’s your favourite bit of our kit?

The Grande Casse men's hoodie is my favourite bit of kit from Sundried as it looks great and like all clothing from Sundried has a really premium feel to it.