Bolton Athlete Making Waves in Triathlon

Meet Scarlett Hutchinson – Thompson.

A proud young Bolton athlete, Scarlett has progressed from a novice swimmer to national competitor, competing across triathlon, swimming and athletics. Local facilities such as Farnworth Leisure Centre have played a huge part in Scarlett’s journey with Bolton Triathlon Club, Bolton Swimming Club and Bolton Metro Swimming Squad.

We spoke to Scarlett as she looks ahead to a busy summer of competition which she hopes will culminate in qualification for the European Aquathlon Championships in July.

“Growing up in Bolton and training across the local area has shaped me massively both as an athlete and as a person. Sport has always been a huge part of my life and from a young age I’ve competed nationally in both swimming and running.

I originally started out doing aquathlons and smaller triathlon events when I was younger, but it wasn’t until around two years ago that I properly got into cycling and triathlon after being selected for the North West Academy, as part of the British Triathlon pathway.

Since then, I’ve completely fallen in love with the sport and everything that comes with it. I think one of the things that made me love triathlon so much was that it finally paired my swimming and running together properly, as I’d always been strong in both, so it felt like I’d finally found the missing piece!

One of the things I love most about triathlon is how varied and demanding it is. Every day looks different, whether that’s swim training, track sessions, long rides, gym work or even turbo sessions poolside! Balancing all three sports alongside college can be very intense and challenging, but I genuinely love the process and constantly learning more about myself physically and mentally day to day.

I currently train with Bolton Metro Swim Squad as well as Bolton Swimming Club alongside my triathlon and athletics training. I’m now competing in the British Super Series and hope to race at the European Aquathlon Championships in July, which is really exciting as I continue developing within the sport.

I’m also working towards securing an NCAA scholarship in the United States for both triathlon and track. Long term, my dream is to compete internationally, become a professional athlete and ultimately aspire towards the Olympic level in sport.

I’m incredibly grateful for the support from my coaches, teammates, clubs and local facilities around Bolton that help support my journey every day. I hope I can inspire younger athletes locally to believe that big goals are possible with hard work, consistency and enjoying the process along the way!”

Here at Active Bolton, we wish Scarlett the best of luck this summer and in the future and hope her story will inspire the next generation of athletes from Bolton.