Athlete Mike unveils fascinating new book

In 2016, Mike Harris, from Widdrington, unveiled Sixty Years an Athlete – telling the story of his glittering sporting exploits.

The book generated much interest about his life – both sporting and general – so he decided to write a sequel.

Entitled Sixty Years an Athlete Part Two: Just Filling in the Cracks, his follow-up covers topics which were not featured in the debut.

He covers questions such as what he thought about during training, what he ate to fuel his body for three workouts a day and how he balanced exercise with family and work life.

Littered with humour, it also focuses on other aspects of his life, including playing in blues bands around the North East.

Mike, 66, said: “It is certainly a unique and different autobiography.

“I had an excellent response and sold many copies of the first book, and as a result of so many additional inquiries, I was inspired to write the follow-up.

“The first book was mainly about me as an ambitious amateur athlete, where as the new book is about so many other issues which took place right alongside the unique intensity of athletic training and competitive sport.

“It fills in the cracks – those everyday elements in between training and sporting competitions done over so many years.”

Former Royal Marine Mike won British triathlon championships, clinched European Championship medals and was a former British Ironman record holder – all while he was a working amateur.

The book is available from two locations in Widdrington (Scissors and Spice hairdressers and Grange Garage), online at Amazon and Waterstones book shop in Morpeth.