If your ambitions are to become World Champion Triathletes, Barrow is a great place to live! I know because Cameron Main, 24, and Sophia Green, 25, are both aiming high in this most demanding of sports and they told me so. These two very lively, young professional athletes moved to Barrow in April 2025, as a couple, and have no regrets. We met in the Hunting Lodge, and over a glass of wine for me and coffees for them; they explained why they came to the village and what being a professional triathlete involves.
One reason they like Barrow is that they both grew up in Elgin, Scotland, an old town surrounded by beautiful countryside, so they enjoy being nearer to the lanes and fields than living among the bustle of Loughborough. And for training purposes the roads for both running and cycling are quieter. They also prefer to live at a distance from the overwhelmingly studenty world of Loughborough University now that they are establishing themselves as professionals and living quite a different way of life. Yet it’s quick to get back into Loughborough for training purposes and an added bonus is that many former Loughborough sports alumni have settled in the area so it’s easy to see friends.
Our shops and restaurants are also an attraction especially when you have to shop a lot as you burn up so many calories! Cameron has a daily calorie intake of between 6,000 and 10,000 calories and Sophia‘s is between 6,000 and 8,000. It’s no wonder they are often in the Co-op or nipping into the Istanbul BBQ Kitchen for chicken or meat kebabs.
Yet they’re both slim and it goes without saying super fit because being a triathlete is very hard work; in their opinion it’s the hardest sport of all as you have to be an excellent swimmer, cyclist and runner. Cameron and Sophia are now competing at the Iron Man 70.3 level which means a swim of 1.2 miles, a bike ride of 56 miles and then a half marathon to finish it off. Amazing! But what is even more amazing is that in 2026 they intend to enter the category above this, known as Full Iron Man. For this they have to swim 2.4 miles, ride 116 miles and run a full marathon at the end! Of the three disciplines Sophia says her strongest is the swim leg but Cameron opts for the run or bike legs.
But you don’t reach these levels of sporting achievement without years of preparation. Although now they both compete at the 70.3 level they began triathlon racing at the level below known as the Sprint and had great success. For both of them representing Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was a huge highlight. There isn’t the space in this article to list all their podium successes since then, but you can follow both Cameron and Sophia on Facebook, and if you want to get into the mass of data triathletes seem to generate then go to: stats.protriathletes.org/athlete/cameron-main for Cameron and, for Sophia, stats.protriathletes.org/athlete/sophia-green.
It’s a very busy life because not only do they have to fit in 30 hours of training a week, attend three or four competitions a year, often held abroad, but also keep themselves solvent. Both receive a little financial help from Sports Scotland; Cameron has sponsorship from the nutrition company Precision Nutrition and Trifit, a running sports brand; and Sophia works part time at Loughborough Grammar School as an extra curricula sports coach. They also win prize money. However, outgoings are many and one of the major attractions of changing to Full Iron Man is that the prize money and media exposure is much increased so sponsorship possibilities are better. So good luck Cameron and Sophia! You’ve chosen what to us lesser mortals seems like an unrelentingly gruelling existence but I know you both love the sport, and I hope over the next few years you achieve your World Championship goals.
Gaynor Barton