For his day job Nigel Todd delivers tasty treats of cakes and biscuits.
But in his spare time the truck driver turns his hand to duathlon and is set to represent Great Britain in the European Championships in Spain.
And it’s some feat for the Waterloo driver who is 50.
He will run and bike ride his way through the sprint-distance event in the hope of bagging a title for GB and said it was an honour to be able to represent his country.
Nigel, married to Angela and father to Louise, 24, and Christopher, 21, said: “To be able to represent your country at anything is a great honour – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can’t wait for it.
“What’s unusual is that I’m an HGV driver which is not an occupation well known for being fit and healthy.
“As a truck driver there is always a temptation to eat unhealthy food. I work away from home a few nights a week and it’s not easy to be healthy and I like cakes and fry-ups as much as the next person, but it’s about moderation.
“It was a few years back that I decided I wanted to get fit. I started running with the aim of doing a few half marathons, but I got a problem with my knees so I took to cycling and liked that so looked to combine the two.”
Nigel, who works for Teatime Tasties Ltd on Leeds Road, then discovered he could represent his age group at the European Championships.
The championships, at Alcobendes, near Madrid in Spain, take place on April 26 and involve a 5k run and a 23k bike ride followed by a 2.5k sprint.
Nigel added: “There are people in their 50s who do not hold back and often beat duathlon competitors who are in their 30s, so it will be a good event to test myself.”
He is looking for sponsorship and firms or people interested in supporting him can email him on nigeltodd111@hotmail.com.
