Double-double delight for racer Roxane
Roxane Sands, a member of Triathlon Ireland’s High Performance Pathway, has completed a remarkable season of success.
Bofeenaun native Roxane Sands has completed a remarkable season by successfully defending her National Youth Triathlon Championship title and securing the National Youth Triathlon Series crown.
Roxane produced a superb performance at Long Point, Loughrea, on the August Bank Holiday weekend to claim victory in the U14 category and add another major title to an already impressive list of achievements. The National Youth Triathlon Championships, hosted by Predator Triathlon Club, formed part of the National Youth Triathlon Series, with Loughrea the eighth of ten events in the competition.
Roxane had already won in Waterford, Clonmel and Schull, taking maximum points at each race. With those three victories already providing the maximum points available from her qualifying performances, she knew that another strong result at Loughrea would put her in an extremely strong position in the overall series. She delivered when it mattered most.
Roxane faced a 300m wetsuit swim, an 8km cycle and a 2km run at the picturesque Long Point venue.
A member of Castlebar Swim Club, Roxane produced a strong swim but emerged from the water in third place, around 45 seconds behind the race leader. She quickly began to close the gap during the run into transition before setting about the task of chasing down the leaders on the bike. The decisive move came during the 8km cycle when Roxane worked with another athlete to catch the race leader. With just 1km remaining, the pair broke clear.
Roxane entered the final transition with the race finely balanced. A fast changeover saw her head onto the 2km run with a 10-second advantage. That was all the lead she needed. Using her considerable running strength, developed through her membership of Moy Valley AC, Ballina, Roxane gradually extended the gap and crossed the finish line in first place to successfully defend her National Youth Championship title.
The Loughrea victory also secured the points Roxane needed to put herself beyond the reach of her rivals in the National Youth Series standings. The result means Roxane has completed a remarkable double-double — back-to-back National Youth Championship titles alongside the National Youth Series crown.
Her achievement is particularly impressive given the demands of competing across three disciplines and the commitment required to develop as a young triathlete.
Roxane is a member of Triathlon Ireland’s High Performance Pathway and recently attended a training camp at the University of Limerick, headquarters of the National Triathlon Centre. The camp provided an opportunity to train alongside fellow athletes on the pathway and work with experienced coaches. Her success also reflects the support she receives from her three sporting environments — Castlebar Swim Club, Moy Valley AC and Triathlon Ireland — as well as from her coaches, family and the wider High Performance Pathway. Roxane also receives tremendous support from the local Bofeenaun and Lahardane communities.
Already a National Cross Country champion, Roxane has demonstrated impressive ability in swimming, cycling and running, establishing herself as one of the country’s promising young triathletes.
For now, she can celebrate another outstanding season — and a memorable National Youth Championship and National Youth Series double.
