Hi Everyone,
I can’t still believe it. I am a European Champion. It was a great emotion when I crossed the finishing line and listening to the announcer saying “Here comes Keith Galea from MALTA”. I was expecting to place at least among the top three in my category but I was not expecting to win it. The trip to Israel was an adventure in itself. It was the first time that I travelled completely alone and it was not a very good idea especially in country like Israel
It was difficult to enter in the country with all those security checks and questions. In my passport there was the timbre of when I went to Tunisia to compete in the African Championships and had to answer very stupid questions. I spent a whole day traveling to Israel and flights were during the night. Fortunately I had time to recover in time for the race. I was very worried the day before the race as I felt very bad and tired. Fortunately on Race day legs responded well. Eilat is a nice place. It is an ideal place for a relaxing holiday however I don’t suggest Israel as your first preference for a holiday.
Two weeks before the race, a rocket was sent from Syria to Eilat, which are very close. When I arrived to Eilat, the airport and the streets were surrounded by soldiers with huge snipers and machine guns. At one point I thought why I came here to race. I wanted to go back as soon as possible. Going back to Malta was not an easy task. Had to go all through those security checks, answering those stupid questions and I don’t know how many times had to open my bike box. I was glad that I arrived to Malta safe and sound.
I was in the first wave. I started the swim at a very fast pace and tried to stay with the leaders. I kept the main group in sight. The sea was ideal for a good swim. In fact I covered the 1500m in 21minutes which I was very pleased. After the swim, we had to run at least 500m and that adds to the total time so had to forget personal bests. After a good transition I went to tackle the 40km bike. It was a 1 loop out and back course. I was expecting it was going to be hard to keep a high average speed in the first 20km but was not expecting to be that hard. I t was so windy that I could not keep 30km/hr. I covered the first 20km in 40minutes. It was hard for everyone. I was very frustrated that I could increase the speed. So I decided to ride high gears in order to save my legs for the next half of the race. In the next 20km wind was behind us and it was very fun riding so fast. I covered the next 20km in 23mins. That was very fast,
The scenery of the bike segment was fantastic. Riding in the desert was a great experience. At one point we have to cross the border from Eilat to Jerusalem. I covered the bike in 1.03 minutes. I Could have been a little faster if I did not lost the road before entering in transition area. I started the run at a good pace. I noticed that I was gaining ground on my rivals. At one point I got a bit excited as the possibility to become a European champion was becoming a reality. I was feeling great and was running very good. I covered the 10km in 36minutes to finish in 2hrs 5mins. I finished 3rd in my wave and 6th in all Europe and most of all I became EUROPEAN CHAMPION OF MY CATEGORY.
The last 200me were fantastic. I was over the moon crossing the finish line and hearing my name from the announcer. I felt a great emotion when I went on to the podium and receiving my gold medal. I am proud to be the first Maltese to achieve such a feat. I would like to dedicate this medal to an important person in my life, my girlfriend Elizabeth. I missed here so much when I was in Eilat. Although I was alone, I knew that she was with me in the spirit. Here support leading up to the race was incredible and I hope she is proud of me. I would like to thank my parents, my brother and great coach Dermot and my Nutritionist Johanna Calleja. Their help was fundamental in order to be crowned European Champion
That’s all for know
Yours in Sports
Keith Galea Age group 20-24 European Champion
