Olympic Triathlete

00:07 Hello, I am Alistair Brownlee and I am a professional triathlete.

00:11 Triathlon is a sport where you swim, cycle and then run.

00:13 I am a two time World Champion and a two time European Champion.

00:16 I train everywhere. All this countryside you can see around you – out in the fields, on the moors,

00:20 and in the woods, in swimming pools, on my bike, on the roads. Just about everywhere

00:24 around where I live, which is North Leeds and Yorkshire.

00:28 I really enjoyed chemistry in school. I studied it right up to A level and carried it through

00:32 to degree level where I started studying medicine and then ended up with a degree in

00:36 physiology and sports science,

00:38 and I really enjoyed all chemical aspects. Even now in my life as an athlete,

00:41 chemistry is almost all around me.

00:44 It is involved in the equipment I use, from the carbon and materials used on

00:48 my bike to wetsuit material and swimming suit material used for swimming

00:52 throughout your whole competition which is very important

00:55 because it needs to be good in the water and has to dry very quickly

00:59 when you’re outside the water. The RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) has produced the Chemistry in the

01:02 Olympics website as part of the overall Learn Chemistry website

01:06 to talk about the specifics of chemistry in sport and the Olympics. It is full of

01:09 educational resources, interesting facts and all sorts of fun things to do related to

01:14 chemistry.

01:15 Why not have a go at the Global Experiment this summer at home or in school?

01:19 It allows you to test your scientific skills and sporting prowess,

01:23 while having fun along the way doing chemistry.