Becky Storrie contested the Scottish Omnium Championships at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Stirling University student is concentrating on cycling this year after illness forced her to cut her 2018 triathlon season short.

’I became ill with a post-viral/chronic fatigue issue. I was unable to train at all for about five months and therefore was in no fit shape or health to race,’ she explained.

’This was probably more difficult mentally than physically to overcome as I love my sport and competing was what I trained so tirelessly to do.

’Around October/November time, following a lot of thinking and numerous discussions with my coach, we decided that racing triathlon this year would not be realistic for me as, after such a huge amount of time off, I had a lot of catching up to do and would not be able to complete the training needed to compete at the level I had been at.

’I came to the decision that rather than waste a year of not being able to compete at all, that I would focus solely on cycling instead.

’The training is much more manageable in my current health situation and means I can race, as well as continue to do something which will only benefit my triathlon career for when I choose to return.

’I am fortunate in that having made this decision I am feeling much better and happier. I have made huge progress over the past couple of months and I am so grateful to be able to say that I can now complete a full week’s training and feel good. I still have a long way to go but I am taking a week at a time and I’m pleased with how far I have come.’

The Scottish Omnium Championships provided the talented Manx woman with her first competitive race since June 2018, as well as being her maiden track event.

The omnium is a multiple race event in track cycling, incorporating a scratch race, elimination race, tempo race and points race. The winner is determined by the rider who has obtained the highest total of points from each discipline.

Becky had a solid start with fifth place in the scratch race, second in the tempo and fourth in the elimination, provisionally placing her third going into the final points race.

Unfortunately, her efforts in the preceding three events meant that she struggled to hold onto a podium position as she admittedly didn’t have the leg speed or track endurance.

She ultimately finished fifth overall, but said she couldn’t have been happier. ’I only started training on the track in November, as well as training properly full-stop, so I am still not in the kind of fitness shape I would like to be.’

Becky is now focusing on preparing herself for the up-and-coming road season, with her first races over the first weekend of March in the south of England. She has a full 2019 race calendar planned, although this is not set in stone and will largely depend on how she is feeling health-wise.

’I do not want to set myself back so I will continue to listen to my body, but I am hopeful that I will keep progressing as I have done and will be racing as much as possible.’

Reiterating how difficult 2018 had been for her, Becky was keen to highlight the ongoing support she had received. ’I could not have stayed so positive and made the process I have done without the support of Isle of Man Sport Aid, whose services have benefitted me tremendously over the past few years but 2018 more than ever.’