15 July 2016: Edinburgh-based hydrologist and AECOM employee Hazel Smith has today been selected to go to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games as a member of the ParalympicsGB team. Hazel is a guide for visually impaired paratriathlete Alison Patrick, also from Scotland, and the duo will compete together in the paratriathlon event.
Hazel and Alison have been training together since 2014 when they were introduced through Scottish Triathlon. As Alison’s guide, Hazel will be tethered to the paratriathlete throughout the 750m swim, tandem 20km cycle and five km run, which all take place on Copacabana Beach. Rio will be the first Paralympic Games with a paratriathlon event after it was selected as an official programme sport in 2010.
Hazel is a hydrologist in AECOM’s Edinburgh office, working for clients across Scotland to promote sustainable flood and surface water management. Her projects include the North Glasgow integrated water management strategy. Hazel is part of the team investigating the potential for the Forth and Clyde canal to take surface water from parts of North Glasgow to address flood risk and surface water drainage issues in order to support regeneration and development in the area. Since starting her training for the Paralympics, Hazel has reduced her hours at AECOM and is now training full-time at British Triathlon’s National Performance Centre in Loughborough. Her training is paid for through National Lottery funding and she plans to return full-time to AECOM in October.
Commenting on her selection, Hazel said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to compete with Alison in the ParalympicsGB team. Supporting a visually impaired athlete gives me an extra reason to train and push myself hard. It is immensely rewarding to help another athlete reach her potential. Being a good guide is not always about physical attributes, but about how to get the best out of the person you are supporting. As surprising as it sounds, the communication skills I’ve learnt as a hydrologist have really helped me become a better guide. My job often involves cutting through complexity to establish shared understanding, which is directly relevant to my role as a paratriathlon guide.”
Hazel is also a role model for the Champions in Scotland initiative, a charity that works to help young people achieve their best in life. She will travel to Rio in early September for the PT5 paratriathlon event, which takes place on 11 September.
This is not AECOM’s only contribution to the Rio Olympics. The same UK-based AECOM team that created the London 2012 Games and legacy masterplan is also delivering masterplanning services for the Rio Olympics. Members from that team will be in Rio to cheer on Hazel and Alison.
-ENDS-
Enquiries:
AECOM
Rachel Brierley
AECOM
Mobile: +44 (0)7920 533 198
rachel.brierley@aecom.com
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