Catching Up With Dave Ellis and Luke Pollard
Dave Ellis and Luke Pollard have been on a tear. Finally getting the Gold Medal in Paris at the Paralympics, adding to their already many titles, and race wins. Since then life hasn’t really stopped for these two athletes - MBEs, getting engaged, riding the cobbles in Flanders– so we catch up with them to find out what they’ve been up to, and what’s in store for the rest of 2025
Coming up to almost a year after the Paris, Paralympics, how have the past few months been?
Dave: Not much change really, back into regular training at the start of Jan and then set some new goals. The first of which was running a half marathon at the start of May.
Luke: It’s been great to spend some time with friends and family and doing things that have had to be put on hold for years in the Paris build up. Although it’s been good to get back into the rhythm it.
The Gold in Paris was such a big goal and focus for many years after Rio*, and then the mechanical in Tokyo, how does it feel to have achieved that? (*the PTVI category was not included in the Rio Paralympics)
Dave: It was a big goal, you never know if you’ll be in a position to be at the front in future Paralympic Games and wanted to capitalise and have at least have a chance of winning. It was a huge relief that I had the chance to win and come through to take the tape.
Luke: Obviously Dave has been after that gold longer than me, but I feel like I’ve given a fair chunk of my life going after that medal alongside Dave. I’m just happy that we’ve got a pay off for all our sacrifice.
Have you been able to navigate the ‘post paralympic’ depression that many athletes go through after a big event, let alone after winning Gold?
Dave: Actually, I think having The European Championship two weeks after and then Worlds a few weeks after that really helped. A lot of the blues probably come from being part of a team and being together for weeks and achieving a common goal. So, to then be a part of successful teams a few weeks after help to keep you focused and feeling part of something.
Luke: I feel extremely privileged to be able to compete at the games and be a part of the ParalympicsGB team. I know how lucky I am to be in the position I’m in and I don’t want to take that for granted.
What has kept you focused and driven?
Dave: I want to continue to try and better myself every year in triathlon. By not being stale and delving into a side quest like distance road running feels like a good way to switch it up a bit.
Luke: If you ever get a chance to meet or work with Dave, you’ll know that he is like a machine that never stops, so it’s easy to get motivated when he’s around.
What else has happened these past few months as a result of winning Gold (e.g. other awards, experiences, invites to events etc.)
We’ve been taken aback by it all! So many different experiences like watching England rugby, BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY), ParalympicsGB Homecoming and of course we were honoured to be named on the New Years Honours list for an MBE. Dave collected his in February and Luke will collect his later this year.
Luke, looks like you’ve been doing some cyclo-cross and cross country running over Winter? The cyclo-cross a new experience? How has that been?
Luke: Cyclo-cross is something that I’ve wanted to do for about 8 years now, but there has always been a reason not to do it. Starting something a bit out the comfort zone is always daunting, there is a lot of room for improvement, but it was great to race something for pure enjoyment with no stress on a result. The cyclocross community are so friendly, I’ll be back for another bash next season with a hopefully improved skillset!
You recently went to Flanders, and got to ride the cobbles, what was that experience like?
Luke: I have been going to Flanders for a few years to watch some racing and ride some cobbled bergs. It was a bit of an unknown going to ride the tandem with Dave on them, but it was a mega experience. Some of the best rides I’ve ever done on a bike! Having Dov (from Parcours) help last year with tyre pressures on cobbles came in handy to try and smooth out the rough stuff!
The Paris course, I guess had some cobbles, but feel being in Flanders was a little different?
Luke: A level up that’s for sure! The steep gradients don’t help either, but that’s what makes it a great trip. Chasing some of the classics around to watch Mathieu Van der Poel (NED) and company rip it up with spectacular crowds is a great way to get you going for the upcoming race season.
Tell us about the new bike? Gold bling!
Dave: Yeah, a bit of a goldy look to it, there’s only one time in your career you can do it and after the last few seasons it feels the right time. I also needed to get a longer frame especially at the back to get in a better position to squeeze out as much performance as possible.
What are your goals/plans for this year?
Dave: The build-up is slightly different than the 2024 season. However, we are still working hard to have a good year. The last time I was in Australia was 2018, at the World Championships in Gold Coast so I would love to go there and defend the title down under!
Dave, you recently got engaged! Congratulations! You proposed in London? Do you have a date set for the wedding? Your fiancée Claire Cashmore is also a para-triathlete, will it be a triathlon themed wedding?
Yeah, felt like had to cap off a great year by getting engaged we’ve only been together 16 years! We’ve set a rough date, for the end of next year but that’s about as far as we’ve got so far, so maybe I can suggest the theme!
