ABOUT ME

Hello! My name is Steph Mottram, I have worked for Royal Mail for the last 9 years and am currently in a manager’s role and have recently finished studying for my NEBOSH (Health and Safety) qualification. I first started writing this blog in 2015 having just returned from the Age Group World Championships in Edmonton Canada where I won the Silver Medal in the sprint distance triathlon. In 2016 I then went on to becomme the Age Group National Champion . Since then things have changed a bit as I turned to cycling.

 I grew up as the eldest of 7 children in what was a busy household filled with sport. From a young age my love was with running although all this changed when I was about 14 and my brother wanted to start rowing. He was 12 at the time and there was no way I was going to let him be better than me!!

So I started training 6 days a week and running quickly fell away although I did start cycling to get myself to and from training. 2006/07 were my best rowing years being 18 at the time I represented Great Britain in the Coupe de La Jenuesse (Europeans) winning 2 gold’s as well as winning at women’s Henley Regatta.

Then at the start of 2007 I travelled to Australia to represent Great Britain in the Australian youth Olympics winning 3 gold medals. I returned from Australia felling on top of the world and ready to get back into training with the aim of making under23 worlds later that year. But I never made it, in April of that year I started to get pain in my back so much so I could no longer sit on the rowing machine. Determined not to lose any fitness I spent hours on the spin bike at the club, only to be told a few weeks later that I had a slipped disc in my back.

Following months of treatment my condition had not improved, the pain killers were making me ill and I was told that I could have an operation but that I would not row again if I did this. I decided to take some time out for myself at this point and spent hours reading up on the internet about possible solutions. This helped me to come to the decision not to have the operation.

At this point sport almost disappeared from my life, I got a job, brought a house and went on holidays!

The turning point was in 2013 when I was looking up children’s charities on line and came across starlight children’s foundation, they help seriously and terminally ill children by granting them a wish. The charity had places to run in the Royal Parks Half Marathon and I thought this is my chance to do something good for both myself and these sick children. On returning from my holiday in April 2013 I started training, I would go out running whenever I could and in the beginning I felt great - so good I entered another Half Marathon in July as a warm up. But shortly after this race I got injured in my quest to become a great runner I had neglected my core work and was now paying the price.

I got myself a physio and started working hard on my core stability, although the injury took a couple of months to heal I still made it to the start line of the Royal Parks Half Marathon and completed the course in 1hour 32minutes.

During the time I was injured I was introduced to open water swimming by my mum. This is great I thought not only could I train hard but also it was such a lovely place to be in the middle of a lake either first thing in the morning or last thing at night, I was at the lakes as much as possible and would keep swimming in the evening till the light started to go. I had never liked the thought of swimming before but it fast became a passion of mine.

I entered a couple of 3km swimming races in the Thames and finished 4th and 6th out of the women. But it was watching the triathlon event going on at the same time that really inspired me. I thought to myself this time next year........!

So as the 2014 triathlon season started I borrowed an old bike and entered a couple of races, I could not believe it when I came 1st and then 2nd in my 1st two races. This inspired me to push on. I upped my training although, found it very hard in the beginning to fit it around my work as a manager with Royal Mail, but by re adjusting my eating habits and making the most of my spare time I nailed it and going back to the same race course a 3 weeks after my 2nd race I took 5 minutes off a sprint distance races.

So that was it I knew what I wanted to do now! Age Group qualification followed by medalling!

It only took a year................. but my love for cycling grew by the day and following a double stress fracture at the Europeans I knew I was time for me to spend my days on the bike.
So for the 2016 racing season I rode for Cliff Pratts Cycles mainly on the road. For 2017 I will be heading to a new team and looking to expand into both TT and track racing - I cant wait go the racing season to start again