GREAT NEWS. I was shortlisted as one of the finalists for the Peoples Choice Award Category in the final of the Sportmalta awards - Ghazliet Sportivi Nazzjonali thanks to my overall victory in the Sicily Triathlon Series last year. I was very surprised to make it to the final of such prestigious awards but also honored to represent my club, my sponsors, the Malta Triathlon federation and all the Maltese Triathlon Community. Also recently I was shown recognition for my success in the Sicily Triathlon Series in a meeting with Hon Prime Minister of Malta Dr Joseph Muscat and Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Hon. Chris Agius
The success in the Sicily Triathlon Series was not an easy task. The series was made up of 6 races as 4 sprint distance triathlons and 2 sprint Duathlons, The Journey to the overall crown started with a 2nd place in the Pergusa Sprint Duathlon, loosing 1st place by a mere 15 seconds but it was a great start as I was sick before the race and could not ask more than that to my body
The 2nd stage was in Marzamemi, this time a Sprint Triathlon. I won the race after a strong attack on the bike and managed to open a good gap which kept it till the finish. Thanks to this victory I was the new leader of the series. In the 3rd race held in Augusta, I came 4th loosing the 3rd place in a sprint finish but still kept my overall lead.
In the 4th race held in Ali Terme I was determined to do well and try to open some gap in the overall classification but as soon as I went out of T1 I had a flat tyre. Quitting was not an option and i still rode my bike on a flat Tyre for 10km until i was given a spare wheel. I lost a lot of time and I was very far away from the top places but I wanted to finish the race as every point counts. Although the race was ruined I did not give up and gave everything I had till the end and finished the race in 8th place thus slipping to 2nd place in the classification
The 5th race was the hardest race of the series and the hardest race I ever done in my whole life. It was a sprint duathlon on Mount Etna with both runs off road, something I never did in my life. After what happened in Ali Terme I almost gave up for the overall win and I needed to do a great performance in order to get back on track to win the series.
It was the first time that i rode a mountain like Etna but knowing that I am strong on the hills I attacked the mountain and managed to pull away from the group. I finished in 3rd place behind two professional triathletes and managed to gain a lot of points on my nearest competitors thus claiming back the top spot in the classification going to the Grand Final, a sprint triathlon in Catania with a comfortable lead where I finished in a good 3rd place and declared winner of the first edition of the Sicily Triathlon Series
It was a great experience doing this series and it was one of my targets to do several ranked races in Sicily. All this was only possible thanks to Sportmalta who funded most of the races and also my club Birkirkara St Joseph who helped me financially as well.
I would like to thank my coach Ivan Rozhnov, my brother Dermot Galea, my wife Elizabeth, my daughter Elise and the rest
of my family, my sponsors www.garminmalta.com,
BBB Cycling Malta, Jaycee Malta, Team Barry Malta International Challenge
Marathon, Starbene 24/7, Sarracino Café, Lucida Laundry, my club Birkirkara St
Joseph, the Malta Triathlon Federation, the Maltese Olympic Committee and Sport
Malta for the Constant support
www.sportmalta.org.mt/peoples-choice-awards-2017
Yours in Sports
Keith
