THE FLYING Monk Triathlon Club is set to boast its first-ever international athletes as two members prepare to don Great Britain vests at this summer’s European Triathlon Championships.

Malmesbury’s Amy Bentley, and Mark Evans, from Brinkworth, have both qualified in their respective age groups in the sprint distance race (750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run) in Geneva on July 10.

The duo both qualified for their Swiss sprint at last June’s Southport Marine Lake Triathlon and 33-year-old Bentley, who will compete in the 30-34 category, admits that she’s feeling the nerves.

“I’ve got a few more races to do before this and after June 13 or 14, it will be real,” she said.

“I always used to ride horses and I never wanted to be sporty but I started doing triathlon and now I’m going to the European Championships.

“I was third in my age group at Southport. I’m really frightened of going there and finishing last but I’m really competitive and I am really looking forward to it too.

“My mum (Judith) will be coming out to support me and Mark will be there too. She usually shouts at me and people wonder what she’s doing but she keeps me going.”

Meanwhile, team-mate Evans, 51, says that the prospect of an international debut makes for a ‘surreal’ feeling.

“People usually glaze over a bit when you talk about your sport but when you say Great Britain, they think ‘maybe he’s not so bad’,” said Evans, who qualified for Geneva through the ‘rolldown’ process following his eighth-placed finish in the 50-55 age group at Southport.

“We’re a relatively young club that have only been going for three-and-a-half years and it’s great that we’re the first two.

“I always felt delighted to do well at local and regional events but this is a massive international event with something like 400 athletes there but it’s going to be good to have a familiar face there too.

“It’s surreal to be going but I’m excited for it.”

Flying Monk chairman Chris Riches also qualified for the European Championships in the 60-64 age group but was cruelly denied his international bow by illness.