Arthur Gilbert (triathlete)

Arthur Gilbert MBE (1921 – 23 October 2015) was an English triathlon competitor who came to notice in 2012 as the world's oldest triathlete.

Earlier life

Gilbert was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1921.[1][2]

He was a veteran of World War II.[3] He became a helicopter engineer at Westland Helicopters in Somerset[4] and used to cycle the 20-mile journey to work.[5]

Triathlon

Gilbert has been running competitively since the 1970s[6] and first competed in a triathlon when he was 64 years old.[7] He has subsequently competed in over 40 multi-event races. His training regime includes 50 lengths of his local swimming pool every day, 3 visits to the gym each week and 25 km on a bicycle on Sundays.[4] He is a member of Burnham Harriers running group.[6]

Gilbert has also been British duathlon champion in his age group on seven occasions.[6]

He was awarded the MBE, presented by Prince Charles in 2008, for his charity fundraising.[4] He raises money for Musgrove Leukaemic Group Somerset.[6]

Gilbert became Britain's oldest triathlete aged 90, when he completed the Burnham-on-Sea Triathlon in April 2011. His time was 1 hour 20 minutes and nine seconds.[8] In December 2011 the World Record Academy confirmed the 90-year-old was also the oldest triathlete in the world.[9]

In May 2012 he was an Olympic torchbearer and jogged the 300 metre stretch through Minehead, Somerset.[10] As a local celebrity, in July he opened a new care home, Kingfisher Lodge, in nearby Saltford.[5]

Gilbert competed in his 41st triathlon, the Burnham Sprint Triathlon, in early June 2012. It involved a 500-metre swim, 20 km bike ride and a 5 km run. The swim took 31 minutes and 54 seconds, one hour 11 minutes and 8 seconds for the cycling phase and 59 minutes and 20 seconds for the run.[3] "It was really tough. As the years go by it gets harder and harder, you do go backwards as you get older," he commented.[3]

He has been fortunate with injuries, his only major problem being a ruptured ankle tendon which he incurred in the mid-1990s.[2]

After completing another Burnham Triathlon in April 2013, Gilbert suggested it may be his last, preferring to help marshal the Burnham event in 2014.[11]

Personal life

Gilbert lived in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.[10] His wife died in 2009 and his son died in the same year, aged only 55. Gilbert says his sports activities helped him through this.[4] He had attributed his abilities to a stress-free life, eating bananas and regularly giving blood.[1]

He died on 23 October 2015 aged 94.[12][13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Arthur's a triathlon star at 90". Express. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 Matt Baird (8 January 2014). "Profile: world's oldest triathlete". 220Triathlon.com. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Still going strong at 91, the world's oldest triathlete". The Telegraph. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Somerset's Arthur Gilbert completes latest challenge". BBC News. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 "World's oldest triathlete, 91, opens new care home". The Post (Bristol). 5 July 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Finighan, Gareth (28 December 2011). "Still going strong: World's oldest triathlete continues to swim, run and bike-ride - at the age of 90". Daily Mail. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Triathlete, 90, has no plans to retire". The Times. 3 January 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Somerset pensioner Arthur becomes Britain's oldest triathlete at 90". The Bath Chronicle. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "Oldest triathlete: Arthur Gilbert sets world record". World Record Academy. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Burnham-On-Sea triathlete, 91, carries Olympic torch through Minehead". Burnham-on-Sea.com. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  11. ↑ Alex Evans (25 April 2013). "World's oldest triathlete set to hang up running shoes?". The Weston Mercury. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Tributes paid to Burnham-On-Sea charity fundraiser Arthur Gilbert MBE". Burnham-on-Sea.com. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Jonathan Millar (1 November 2015). "Sadness as Burnham's Arthur Gilbert MBE dies aged 94". Burham & Highbridge Weekly News. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
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