INTERNATIONAL athlete Anthony Wilson, of Peopleton, is ready to make a bid for the world triathlon championships but fears he can't continue his sport for financial reasons.

One of the elite Tri UK Squad members, who competes for his nation in the gruelling three-sport discipline, Anthony only missed out on a place in the in the Commonwealth Games because he suffered hypothermia in the qualifying round.

At the age of 21, the local builder has moved into the 20-25 age group - the toughest of them all - and tackles a 1500m swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run during each three hour competition.

A poor runner at school, Anthony competed in his first triathlon competition with a friend five years ago. He did well and started winning competitions all over the country, then at national and international level and was regularly topping his age group before moving up to the peak age group to compete against the best triathletes in the world.

He is consistently in the top 10 and is currently focusing his training on securing one of the last four places in the world championships, due to be held in the US next year. To do that, he must compete in the last qualifier in the in Scotland on August 18, which means finding another £200 for travel and accommodation - but maintaining the cost of three sports has take its toll and he has run out of sponsorship. Anthony's travelling costs are high because he needs to carry his specialist bike with him.

Sadly, like many athletes, he finds the scramble for financial aid the hardest race and it means he is considering giving up his sport. "I just can't go any further without help," he said.

Some local firms sponsor Anthony and help him out with free bike repairs, for instance, and he has poured thousands of pounds of his own money into competing since he started competing five years ago. But now he needs a major sponsor as his competition gets fiercer and fiercer and his international commitments more costly.

If anyone can help Anthony, he can be contacted on 01905 840444. Meanwhile, watch out for him on TV on August 11 when his next competition takes place at the London Triathlon.