Cornwall triathletes just miss out on medals at Tokyo Paralympics
Melissa Reid from Porthtowan and former Truro School pupil Fran Brown were competing overnight
Last updated 28th Aug 2021
Two triathletes from Cornwall have missed out on medals at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Melissa Reid from Porthtowan is visually impaired and blind in one eye.
The 30-year-old is coached by her dad and won bronze at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
She became ITU World Champion in 2013 and has won the ETU European Championships twice, in 2013 and 2017.
Melissa was competing in the Women's Individual PTVI event on Friday night (August 27th).
Sister Courtney-Lee organised a watching party last night, after having to steam the action in Rio on her phone.
She said: "Whenever she's away and people know she's racing everyone is like 'how's she getting on, how's she doing' constantly everyday when I go into the local shop they say 'how's your sister getting on out there?' it's a real good sense of community here".
Melissa finished 7th in the PTVI but speaking before the event, dad and coach Allan Reid said he would be proud whatever the result: "If she comes away and she knows she's given 100%, I can't ask for any more".
Also competing overnight was fellow triathlete Fran Brown - a former pupil of Truro School.
Fran has a spinal cord injury which affects the strength and control of movement in all four limbs but can run and cycle with the aid of leg braces.
She became World Para Climbing Champion in 2012 and 2014 and was an aerial acrobat in the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony.
Fran was selected to represent GB at the Adaptive Surfing World Championships in San Diego in 2015 before switching to the Paralympic sport of triathlon in 2016 and becoming PTS2 World and European Champion in 2019.
Tokyo is her first Paralympic Games, where she finished 4th in the Women's Individual PTS2.
Speaking of her time at Truro School, Fran said: "The range of activities and opportunities that were available to me when I was a pupil at Truro School really showed me the diversity of elite sporting opportunities that I could undertake.
"Balanced with my academic and music studies, my time at Truro set me up for the demands of juggling work and sport as an adult.
"The focus on excellence in all areas of life also instilled a strong work ethic that I have been able to rely on throughout my training and work life".
Speaking before the Tokyo Paralympics, Andy Johnson, Truro School Head, said: "It is wonderful to see one of our former pupils representing Great Britain at such a prestigious event as the Paralympics. We are extremely proud of Fran. She is an inspiration to us all".
Check the full list of medals secured by ParalympicsGB at the Tokyo Games.