Paralympic gold medallist Lewis announces triathlon retirement

Paralympic Champion Andy Lewis has announced his immediate retirement from international triathlon.

Lewis made history at Rio becoming the first ParalympicsGB athlete to win a Paralympic triathlon medal after taking gold in the men’s PT2 event.

The 37-year-old will now focus his attention towards launching a new business aimed at supporting mental health in the workplace.

“I can change people’s lives, and it’s time for me to make good on my word,” Lewis said. “There is nothing more important than your mental health. Nothing. And I want to use my experiences to help people monitor, manage and improve it.

“Whilst I learnt the very hard way, I’m grateful for the lessons which have made me ten times stronger than I ever could have been. Nothing has levelled me yet, and that kind of resilience is what makes you successful, whatever your measure of that is.

“Plus, in a time of isolation, remote working and homeschooling, so many companies feel helpless as they watch their employees struggle with this new normal. Motivation and mindset are muscles which need training like anything else. That’s why Bespoke Mentoring was born.”

Since embarking on his triathlon journey in 2013, Lewis went on achieve a host of international titles in the sport.

In 2016 Lewis won a hat-trick of gold medals after winning both the European Championships in Geneva and ITU Para-Triathlon World Championships in Rotterdam just months before repeating his success in Rio.

Lewis was in imperious form as he went on to become the Paralympic champion, finishing almost one minute ahead the rest of the field.

Following the Games, Lewis retained his world championship title in 2017, before taking silver in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the event.