Hard Work Wins Blair Spot Alongside Big-name Brother

Newcastle Herald

Monday October 25, 1999

By SEAN MELEHAN

IRONMAN Joshua Blair will be joined by his 18-year-old brother Shane this summer after the teenager won a place in the Uncle Tobys Super Series.

Shane finished 12th in yesterday's trial at Mooloolaba to take the final berth up for grabs in the elite circuit.

Older brother Joshua could not be happier for Shane, who was trialling for the second consecutive year.

`I think it's great. It's good for both of us,' Joshua said.

`Racing together is something we both wanted to do.'

Shane juggled his job as a furniture maker to match the training schedule of his full-time athlete brother.

`He's done pretty much the same program as me,' Joshua said.

`Some nights he even went paddling in the dark.'

The Mercer brothers competed in a number of races three seasons ago, but this will be the first time brothers have qualified through trials and gone through an entire summer together.

Shane was the only successful Uncle Tobys triallist out of five Swansea-Belmont competitors.

Chad Griffith, who competed last summer but failed to win a contract, fell just three places short of making the cut in the club's next best result.

Carly Reid finished 21st in the final of the Meadow Lea Ironwoman trial in a creditable result.

Former Novocastrian and veteran Uncle Tobys competitor Guy Andrews bounced back to his brilliant best to win the trial ahead of Drew Cairncross.

© 1999 Newcastle Herald

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