Olympic Paratriathlete Andy Lewis brings home gold to Bradley Stoke

andylewis-010Andy Lewis, the first paratriathlete to win a gold medal in the RIO 2016 Paralympics, dropped into Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre to thank the team for its support ahead of the Games.

Currently on sabbatical from Airbus, he lives with his wife and two children in the Forest of Dean. He trained much of the time in Loughborough, but needed somewhere closer to home at the weekends so he could spend time with his young family. Bradley Stoke was the nearest centre that could offer him proper training facilities and so was critical to his pre-Games training.

Andy brought along his gold medal and spent time chatting to leisure centre staff, including the many young lifeguards who he got to know well during his training.

Aged 33, Andy competed in Rio as a through knee amputee, having lost his leg in a motorcycling accident involving a 38 tonne lorry when he was just 16. Despite this he has gone on to learn to fly microlights and achieved his pilot’s license as well as representing Britain in para athletics.

He said, “These guys have been fantastic, I wish I had such great facilities on my doorstep. Their support has been awesome from start to finish.”

Rob Candlin, Centre Manager at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre, said, “We were overjoyed when Andy won the triathlon in Rio. We were only too pleased to help him make history and he’s really left a mark on the whole team at Bradley Stoke as an individual and professional. He is a great ambassador not just for triathlon but for sport generally. Our pool is open to him anytime!”

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