More than 20 amateur triathletes braved the cold open water of West Reservoir Centre in Hackney at British Triathlon’s ‘50 days to go’ launch event.

The launch looked ahead to the upcoming World Triathlon Championship Series in London on 25 July, which is part of the wider London T100 weekend.

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Featuring an open water swim taster session, the Hackney event showcased British Triathlon’s work with London community groups to open more opportunities to get involved in triathlon. Paralympian Mel Nicholls, who competed in Para Athletics at London 2012, was on hand to provide advice for the athletes, many of whom are new to triathlon.

“Just enjoy it,” she said. “Be in the moment, take a breath, and look around you.

“It's about the people. Triathlon is a solo sport, but the community it builds is really important. And it provides great life skills - learning to swim, to get on a bike, to run.

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“So, give it a go and don't compare yourself to anybody else because it's your moment. And you never just do one triathlon - there's always more.”

Elena Rodolfi, a swimming coach at community group BADU, taught the swim session, which included breathing exercises and safety advice.

She is leading a group of 100 BADU athletes who are competing at the London T100 weekend, where thousands of amateur triathletes will take on a range of distances.

“At BADU, we’re trying to engage the inactive people in the community, especially from the global majority, who are usually not as visible in the swimming or triathlon environment,” Rodolfi said.

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“Opportunities like this give our athletes trained coaches to learn from and the support of everyone. I can’t wait to do the next one - I’m still buzzing from this.”

The British Triathlon initiative is helping to build a legacy for triathlon in London by growing participation in clubs and events and making the sport more accessible.

One woman playing a big part in this growth is Reyss Wheeler, who founded the women’s health organisation STUK and is facing her own fears to show women that anything is possible.

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“I can run and I can cycle,” she said. “But this is my first time in the water in 27 years.

“I'm having to combat my lifelong fear of water to make sure the women in our community see that it’s possible.”

Wheeler is one of 20 women from STUK taking part in the London T100 race.

She hopes her team will be inspired by the professionals when WTCS racing returns to London on 25 July for the first time since 2015, with around 100 of the world’s top triathletes set to compete.

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Top British names, including Olympic champion Alex Yee and former World Champion and current leader in the 2026 World Championship, Beth Potter will be competing.

Based around ExCeL London in the Docklands, the event is free to watch and the sprint format promises fast, spectator-friendly racing, with both elite races finishing in under an hour.