Keele student finishes as top British athlete in his World Triathlon age group

A Keele University student has achieved a remarkable result on the world stage after finishing among the top triathletes in his age group at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Spain.

Spencer Cartwright, a final-year Sports Business Management student, represented Great Britain in the 20-24 age group at the championships in Pontevedra, where he finished eighth in the standard distance event and was the first British athlete across the line in his race.

The 20-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, has balanced the demands of competing at an elite level with his university studies, with support from Keele's Talented Athlete Programme helping him pursue his sporting ambitions alongside his degree.

The programme supports student athletes in maintaining their sporting performance and fitness while studying, providing access to facilities and coaches, physiotherapy and guidance on securing funding.

Spencer said: "Being able to see the facilities and support that were available gave me confidence that if I had any issues with injury or recovery there were facilities in place to help."

The result marks the biggest achievement of Spencer's sporting career to date and caps years of dedication to a demanding sport that combines swimming, cycling and running.

Spencer's journey into triathlon began during the Covid-19 pandemic after the swimming club he trained with folded. With several former club members turning to triathlon and his family becoming involved in the sport, Spencer decided to give it a try himself.

He said: "At the time a few of the members were already competing in triathlons and as my family started to get involved, I naturally followed them and started competing myself in youth and junior races."

That decision has led him all the way to the world championships, where he produced an outstanding performance against the sport's best young athletes. Impressively, Spencer recorded the second-fastest swim split in his age group.

Spencer says one of the biggest attractions of triathlon is the challenge of mastering three disciplines at once.

"The challenge of having to balance them all and make sure that you don't do too much of one where another is negatively affected is something that I am constantly thinking about.

"I also enjoy the variety that the sport gives you and how everyone is different, so there's always something new."

Training at an elite level alongside university studies requires significant commitment. Spencer typically trains between 15 and 18 hours every week, with most weekdays involving multiple training sessions.

Balancing that workload with a degree requires careful planning.

He said: "I have a schedule that I follow which helps me set my training around my lectures, and I find time in the early mornings and late evenings to fit everything in.”

The sacrifices involved are considerable, with Spencer admitting that personal time is often the biggest thing he gives up in pursuit of his goals.

His journey has not been without setbacks. Ahead of his recent world championship race, he encountered a major obstacle when the bike he had transported overseas arrived damaged and unusable.

"I flew out with my bike and got there, and it was broken and not possible to ride, so I had to borrow a bike.

"To overcome that and still race and get the result I did was a good achievement for me."

Despite already competing among the world’s best age-group triathletes, Spencer remains focused on continued improvement.

"The biggest motivator for myself is seeing how I improve year on year.

"Seeing that progress is the biggest thing that keeps me wanting to continue to train and improve. Seeing my results improve and being in a more competitive position in races is also a good motivator."

Looking ahead, Spencer hopes to continue developing as an athlete and one day compete for a professional triathlon licence.