Awards Round Up 10th November
Friday 8th November, the Tuff Fitty annual Awards Ceremony was held at the Highdown Vineyard. The venue offered a convenient location midway between Worthing and Littlehampton. It provided an attractive and pleasant environment for members to get together and celebrate the clubs achievements of the past year.
CAPTAINS RECAP
Our club captains Mark Sole and Verity Lacey presented a recap of highlights of the year:
The end of another season has been completed and we would like to take some time to look back at the past year to reflect on achievements and successes achieved by many of the Tuff Team.
As Captains of your club, Verity and I are proud, amazed and inspired by what the members have achieved. We have seen some amazing reports throughout the year that cover a wide variety of events, not just Triathlon!
Some of the big achievements include 9 Tuffs racing for Team GB this year:
At the Worlds we saw: James Togneri compete in the aquabike event, James Mapley the standard triathlon, Mark Walford and Stephen O’Donnell in the sprint triathlon.
At the Europeans we saw: Carey Woods make her debut in the sprint aquathlon along side Maisie Johnson who finished in the top 10 and Katie Young who stood on the podium. Bob Rogers competed in the sprint triathlon and was the European Champion in his age group.
So far, we have 13 Tuffs that have already qualified for 2025 with a few more waiting to find out if they have been successful.
There have been a couple of stand out epic events this year; Mike Barrett completing Marathon Des Sables, Jenny Oliver completing LEJOG, Wendy Frost completed 150 miles Coast-to-Coast ride in one day, the write ups are well worth the read if you haven’t already read them.
The club as a whole completed numerous run events in 150 different location, many of which were first timers. They consisted of (but I am sure not limited to) 40 ½ marathons, 33 full & ultra marathons and a whopping 728 Tuff results for park runs.
We have seen over the past year new coaches qualifying and joining the coaching team to deliver a fantastic variety of coached sessions that have helped to prepare us for the incredible achievements we are seeing.
We have seen many members of the club step-up and assist with club events and events held by other clubs where they have been short of marshals and other assistance. This has enable many local events to still run and go ahead, so thank you to those that have given up time to assist.
Probably the biggest news of the year has to be Clive stepping down as Chair. Clive has been a real driving force for the club and getting the club to where it is today. As Captains, we would like to thank Clive for his dedication to Tuff Fitty and look forward to seeing Jenny take the club forward from what is a very stable position.
A big part of Tuff Fitty is welcoming and encouraging new members. We have seen a lot of new members this year and it has been wonderful to see them integrate within the club so quickly and become part of our Tuff Team. We have welcomed 26 new members this year, of which 9 are returning members and we also have one international member; Judith. Many of our new members are here tonight, hopefully enjoying the more relaxed social side of the club.
One of the new members that joined this year as a young fledging came up through the junior tri club Worthing Otters. We are hoping two other members from the junior club will be joining Tuff Fitty next year when they turn 18, both of which have already qualified to represent Team GB in 2025.
Verity has been female captain over the past 2 years and has really helped both the members and me. She has really good organisation skills and has enjoyed trying to encourage more of you out on your bikes. Verity instigated the link between ACC and Tuff Fitty due to the location of the cycling club and this has seen a lot of the female members join up and become much more confident and competent riders. It is with great sadness that Verity will be retiring as female captain, but she does have some good news on her replacement.
We would like to extend a really warm welcome to the Captain’s table, Clare Worgan who Verity will be handing the baton to. Clare will bring a love for triathlon and the triathlon community to the role. Clare’s ethos is ‘We train together, but more than that, we support each other whatever triathlon or life throws at us’. I am sure you will join in extending a very warm welcome to Clare as your new female Captain!
Mark and Verity
Below is an photo summary of the past year:
The Awards!
A summary of Tuff Fitty Awards 2024:
Club Championship Awards
Arundel Lido Sprint
1st Male MARK WALFORD
2nd Male TOM GODDARD
3rd Male ALEX WEBB
1st Vet Male BARRY DAVIDS
1st Super Vet Male ADRIAN OLIVER
1st Vintage Male BOB ROGERS
1st Female KATIE YOUNG
2nd Female OLIVIA MOREY (and bump!)
3rd Female CLARE WORGAN
1st Super Vet Female SHEILA BAILEY
1st Vintage Female LINDA JAMES
Tribourne Eastbourne Olympic
1st Male MARK WALFORD
2nd Male JON CASSELL
3rd Male ALEX WEBB
1st Super Vet Male DOM AMEY
1st Vintage Male CLIVE HARVEY
1st Female CLARE WORGAN
Eastbourne Tribourne 70.3 Middle Distance
1st Male MARK WALFORD
2nd Male SIMON THISTLETHWAITE
3rd Male DOM AMEY
1st Female CLARE WORGAN
Summer Tuff Run Series (STRUN)
1st NIKI TREACY
2nd MARK WALFORD
3rd STEVE FRYER
Captains Award
CLAIRE MOYLE
Coaches Award
PAULA WHITE
Joe Pascoe Memorial Award
ELAINE ROUUSSEAU
Thank You Clive Harvey!
It was a pleasure to be able to express our thanks to Clive Harvey as he steps down from 25 years as Chairman of Tuff Fitty Triathlon Club!
After 25 years of beefing us up in the weekly round-up, it’s our turn to do a round-up on Clive!
As in previous years, a photobook has been produced. This time charting the history of Clive’s 25 years as Chair. The photos record a real history of the club and give an insight into Clive’s athletic achievements as well as a wealth of Tuff friendship and Tuff Tours of yesteryear!
The photos may be seen in the album here (thank you Trevor Harvey for collecting the photos!):
E-CARD
We wanted to arrange a thank you card for people to sign, and we decided to go for an e-card. And we’re glad we did because there would certainly not have been room for all the messages on a conventional card! It’s actually more of a book!
Thank You Gift
At the request of members, there has been an opportunity to contribute to a thank you gift for you Clive.
In his role as Chairman, Clive has often suggested that we should produce a special edition Tuff Fitty toilet roll. Because he’s always having to run around after us. Well was a bit late, but with no expense spared, at last Clive was presented with a special edition Tuff toilet roll – although maybe it’s Jenny who will be needing it now!
But joking aside, a generous amount was given, which is truly a reflection of the depth of gratitude, respect and affection towards Clive. We felt that Clive and Judy should decide together what you would like as a memento of Clive’s long service to the club. One suggestion is for a break away together as so much time has been sacrificed on club business.
This one is not quite legal tender, but Clive was assured that a real one will follow!
Thank you to everyone for your generosity.
Clive’s CV!
Clive’s brother Trevor assisted by providing details of Clive’s illustrious CV!
Clive Harvey
A few words about Clive, (the first time for 25 years we can’t address him as Chairman)!
Clive the Athlete: – You name it, he has been there and done it. Regular parkruns, 10K’s too numerous to mention and almost 100 ‘pure’ half marathons. Also many 20 milers and double digit marathons, both at home and abroad.
Add in some lunacy events such as Hellrunner. One of those was dressed as 118 runners.
For the Bacchus Wine Marathons in a team one year carrying a blow-up doll, dressed in Tuff kit and a cycle helmet:
And another in a team where all Tuff’s dressed as women (photos are available!).
A great many swims also get ticked off on the list, up to 5 ½ kms.
His first Triathlon was in 1995 – the Adur Triathlon, (cycling over Bost Hill), and he has subsequently covered all distances from sprint to Ironman – in some impressive times. These early Tri’s were pre lycra, when crop tops and budgie smugglers were de rigueur!!! Luckily those were the days before mobile phones so very little photographic evidence exists, although there is a shot some 25 years ago of the early Tuff Kit crop top – where luckily the lower parts are covered by a wetsuit!
He has also been the Club Vet Champion, the first time in 1997.
The long list of Olympic Tri’s include some 25 Windsor Olympic Distances, the first of which was in June 1998. Longer examples include some 12 Middle Distance races, (the first of which was in Ironbridge, also in July 1998), several of which have resulted in high ranking age group positions. Clive has also completed three Ironman races; the first, UK Ironman in Yeovil in September 2008; the second, Frankfurt European Championships in June 2013, and Austria Ironman in 2015.
Clive the chairman:-
Clive joined Tuff Fitty in 1995, shortly after his first Adur Triathlon. The pool swims saw low numbers, and so he suggested that the club ‘get organised’……..which resulted in him joining the Committee in 1997. Shortly after, the Secretary emigrated to Australia and Clive became both the BTF Club contact and Secretary. The role of Secretary was not relinquished until 2010!
He raced the Frosty Aquathon for the only time in March 1997, before being on the organising team the following year and then becoming sole race Director from 2000 to 2022. (There is no excuse for not competing in 2025 now Clive!).
In 1999 the Chair moved to Leicester and Clive was appointed “Temporary Chair” …………………..& 25 years later, the rest, as they say, is history!
As I’m sure you are all aware and appreciate, Clive has undertaken a huge amount for the Club, both publicly and some ‘under the radar’, which hardly anyone knows about. The ‘public’ (too numerous to list them all), include the first of many Tuff Lido race and Barbeque events in June 2005. Also early newsletters and the subsequent ‘Weekly Round-ups’, which all take a vast amount of time to collate and prepare. The ‘non-public’ side really highlights his true character. Recently, a Tuff posted on Instagram that he had received a lovely card from the local Tri Club, dropped round by the legendary Chairman, Clive Harvey. No one would have known of this occurrence if it wasn’t for that post- but this is typical of what Clive has done for years, dropping off cards for many giving support, good wishes and encouragement on a whole host of occasions – all of which are unsung and at his own expense.
We are a great friendly club, but occasionally issues have arisen where ‘opinions may differ’, and Clive has spent many, many hours having chats over a coffee as the ‘honest broker’ to resolve matters.
He has often put the club before self, and he has stood back from events to let others take part, and without a doubt, certainly missed out on his own training whilst working for the Club. He has never raced a Club Lido race – again no excuse next year!!!!
Not only has Clive given a huge amount of time and dedication to the Club, but he gives back to the wider triathlon world in many ways,
He was the driving force behind the Club attaining Bronze ‘Trimark Status’ from British Triathlon – the first Club in the South East to achieve this. Pleasingly, his hard work was deservedly recognised by him being declared the South East Region Volunteer of the Year in 2023.
Clive regularly assists on the Event Team for RAW Energy, but of course he is also a recognised South East Regional Technical Official qualifying in 2015. A very important – and sometimes stressful role, for example when it is his call whether an open water swim can proceed or not!
So thanks, but definitely not Goodbye!
Thank You Judy!
We were so glad to welcome Clive’s lovely wife Judy to this special evening. It was fitting that we were able to thank Judy for her support for Clive and allowing him to dedicate so much time to the club. We presented Judy with a bouquet of flowers as a token of our gratitude!
It’s not often that Judy gets to feature in a Tuff round-up but we definitely think she deserves an endurance award!
Poem by Graham and Nancy Liddell
Oh, Clive Harvey, what a man!
For twenty-five years, you’ve led our clan.
Tuff Fitty’s soul, from when you started,
You’ve guided us: our journey charted.
In ’96, you joined the crew,
From ’99, you ran it too—
Secretary and chairman both,
Year on year, you saw us through.
Late at night, you’d work away,
Building a club that’s here to stay.
Inclusive, friendly, full of cheer,
With Clive in charge, the way was clear.
Through ups and downs, you stayed so Tuff,
Even when the going got rough.
When COVID tried to dim the light,
With your lead, we still shone bright.
You’ve shaped the club in your own way,
Welcoming all, come what may.
You know each name, no one’s the same,
Yet in your warmth, all find their flame.
More than a leader, Clive’s a true friend,
Inspiring and kind, from start to end.
From sprints to ironman, he completes the race,
A triathlon legend, setting the pace.
And this is what our members say:
“Inspires us all, amazing guy,
Supportive, kind, considerate too,
Incredible, Legend.” Clive, that’s you.
Club of the year in 22,
A hundred and seventy strong, thanks to you.
So, here’s our shout, loud and true—
Thank you, Clive. We’re proud of you!
by Graham and Nancy Liddell
