There is a saying 'Ye of little faith' which makes me reflect on everything we do here at HUUB - striving to be the fastest and the best, with a belief in the passion that competition and our sport brings.
In 2013, just a year after our inception, HUUB was approached by a young athlete, Alex Yee, and his father hoping that we could support Alex in his athletic endeavours ... and what a talent he possessed. The young Yee was lined up for both running and triathlon programs with the governing bodies hoping for future success.
Alex and his father visited us in 2014; we were immediately struck by the incredible support, belief, and enthusiasm of his family. Alex, himself, was confident but not arrogant, committed but not brash, starting his career he knew that he was lucky to be highlighted by both running and triathlon as a hopeful sports star. The future would hold some big decisions, but for the time being, Alex wanted to enjoy the opportunity and looked to gather support from the leading brands within the space.
Alex had a simple request for support, including a wetsuit and essential items, it also transpired that Alex did not have a quality bike to race with his peers. After this first visit, Alex began racing in HUUB wetsuits and I lent him my own personal Planet X race bike which Alex used to race over the next couple of years.
Alex's loyalty has never wavered, and we could not be prouder of the young chap from London, who relocated to Leeds and excelled in two sports. Leeds allowed Alex to train with other athletes including those in the HUUB stable, he learned the skills needed to make it in triathlon and honed these further when he moved to Loughborough - dare we say moving closer to the great nation of “Derbados” where speed lives!
Alex enjoyed a promising career on the junior circuit and was also recognised by SportsAid with their 'One to Watch Award' at the age of 18. His crash in Sardinia in 2017 temporarily delayed his progress but his upwards curve continues in the senior rankings, and he is still only 23 years old!
Athletes come and go in this sport, the great become coaches, pundits, and creators. New talent is nurtured, and the changing of the guard will never cease. I have seen many guards, many changes, and many medals over the years. Isn't that what makes the sport so wonderful? Who can we support next, who can we give a leg up to and assist on their journey? Who will run around and say thank you, and then work with us to chase even greater glory?
Alex Yee shone at the weekend in Leeds, his confidence matched his ability and the commentator's “changing of the guard’ was the line of the day. While we celebrate the changing of the guard, we must also say thank you to those moving on to new events in post-Olympic dreams, but let's save that for another day.