Tim Don, a three-times Olympian, four-times ITU World Champion and Ironman triathlete, will be the special guest at a coaching clinic at the National Sports Centre on Sunday.

Don will be passing on his expertise and experiences as part of the World Triathlon Bermuda Kids Coaching Clinic, which is open to children 7 and older from 11am.

The 41-year-old Englishman is perhaps most inspiring for the way he has overcome adversity. At the height of his career as the fastest Ironman triathlete of all time, a cycling crash left him with a broken neck just days before the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, where he was a favourite to win.

The crash could have ended his career, but he did not let it stop him. He wore a full “halo” head brace for three months and worked his way back into competition, producing the inspiring documentary The Man with the Halo in the process.

The World Triathlon Bermuda Kids Coaching Clinics start this week and will be held every second Sunday until the MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda in April. The sessions aim to encourage more children to try the triathlon and to build confidence for racing.

After Sunday, future clinics will be at 10am on Sunday March 10, 24, April 7 and 21 for approximately an hour each.

The coaching clinic is organised by the Bermuda Triathlon Association, to prepare young athletes for the RenaissanceRe Kids Duathlon on Friday, April 26.

The Kids Duathlon will happen the day before the big event on Saturday, April 27, which will feature Flora Duffy, who stormed to victory in last year’s race.

“The RenaissanceRe Kids Duathlon is an important part of the World Triathlon Bermuda Festival Weekend,” said Pat Phillip-Fairn, WTSBDA spokesperson and chief product and experiences development officer of the Bermuda Tourism Authority,

“More than 200 children raced on Front Street, experiencing the thrill of the ITU World Triathlon finish line. Since Flora Duffy’s outstanding 2018 performance, there has been a surge of interest from Bermuda’s children in the sport, which is encouraging to see.”

The MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda is the second of three annual World Series Triathlon events that the island will host; in 2021 Bermuda will be home to the ITU Grand Final and Age Group World Championships.