Salford based triathlete Rhianna Parkinson has today been announced as Sports Tours International’s newest community ambassador.
Rhianna joins professional boxer Stacey Copeland as a community ambassador for the sports travel group and will be supporting a number of UK events and posting regular blogs sharing her experiences and training tips with customers.
Sports Tours International takes thousands of participants to some of the world’s biggest sporting events including the New York Marathon, Boston Marathon and the Tour de France. They also organise several running events across the North West including the UKFast We Love MCR 10K and the Tour of Tameside.
Commenting on her new role, Rhianna said: “I’m really looking forward to working with Sports Tours International; they are a company who are actively focused on getting more people involved in sport and that’s something I’m passionate about.”
Just months away from competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in South Africa, it’s difficult to tell that only three years ago Rhianna was struggling with fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Rhianna, who works full time as an IT infrastructure Analyst at City Football Group added: “I couldn’t even run 1km when I first decided to get back into exercise. I began by joining local clubs which I found really motivating and fun – one of the things I love about sport is that it is very inclusive, you don’t need to be an athlete to participate.”
Rhianna now trains before and after work eight times a week, plus two long sessions at the weekend. She trains with Salford Cycling Club and Salford Mets AC and attends Swimfit sessions at Salford Community Leisure.
Chris Bird, CEO of Sports Tours International, commented: “We are very excited to welcome Rhianna as our community sports ambassador. We want to show everyone that getting involved in sport is achievable and Rhianna is proof of that – she’s reached the world championships in three short years.”
“Our goal is to create the world’s largest active lifestyle community and whilst we are an international brand, it’s important to engage with our local communities in the North West too.”
