NAILSEA
PEOPLE
Mills family put best foot forward
While Chris Mills was completing a duathlon in Romania his mum Linda was part of the Tesco Nailsea Race for Life team in Bristol.
Postie Chris, aged 35, of Chapel Barton was representing Great Britain in the Transylvanian Multi Sport competition.
He was one of 3,000 athletes from 30 countries competing.
Superfit Chris who is used to walking miles door to door in Nailsea delivering letters also enjoys cycling, mountain biking, golf, surfing and running.
He said: “I represented Team GB in the 35-39 age category in the sprint distance duathlon and came a respectable ninth.”
Chris was able to take part thanks to the support of Bristol Quality Cleaning (BQC) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
The race began at 8.30am and the conditions were good with the temperature at 20C, he said.
The sprint distance duathlon consists of a 5km run followed by a 20km bike leg then another 2.5km run to finish.
Chris added: “Obviously there are transition periods in between which take up time, but my total finish time was one hour and three minutes.
“I wasn’t as quick as I'd hoped but both transitions didn't go well and had a bad stitch on the final run which cost me a bit of time.”
At the same time as Chris was on the track in Romania mum Lin was pavement pounding from The Downs along to Stoke Road.
Lin,63, has been taking part nearly every year in the charity event ever since she began working at Tesco Nailsea.
The supermarket group is bussed into Bristol annually thanks to the generosity of Silver Link Services based at Coates Industrial Estate.
She said: “In the 17 years I have worked for Tesco Nailsea I have only missed a couple of times not doing this race.
“The atmosphere is buzzing and all the money that everyone raises is for such a good cause.
“I usually walk but break into a trot every now and again.”
Race for Life raises money for Cancer Research UK and the Tesco Nailsea
By Carol Deacon
amount is still being collected.
People can run, jog or walking a 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre or Pretty Muddy course and raising sponsorship for doing so and there are events all over the country.
While Lin is not stretching her legs for charity with husband Stuart they have been attempting to complete the South West Coast Path.
This is the longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail in England.
It stretches for 630 miles, running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset.
Lin said: “We started nearly 15 years ago doing a bit at a time.
“We said we would never be like other walkers with hiking boots and backpack but we have ended up sporting the same gear.”
They took a short break when Stuart, 73, a retired postie himself, had a hip replacement.
Lin added: “We are back on track now and would encourage others to give it a go.
“We have suffered falls, blisters, dehydration and once I broke a bone in my knee but we are determined to finish the route.
“We have met lovely people on our walks, stayed in some fantastic places from camping to quaint countryside pubs and sometimes friends have joined us to walk part of the way.
“The coasts of north Cornwall and Devon are stunning, and Pedn Vounder Beach near Penzance was one of the most memorable.
“This is probably due to its clear blue waters, soft white sand and rugged surrounding cliffs that house the famous Minack Theatre.
“Our only regret is we didn’t keep a diary.”
Lin and Stuart have a final 100 mile lap to complete with a goal of doing it in the next 24 months.
