A LIVERPOOL man has heaped praise on to an anonymous good samaritan who came to his rescue during the Bala Triathlon - and hopes he can repay her for her generosity.
Tony Riley has described the lady, who let him borrow her bike for the cycling stage of the triathlon after his had broken unexpectedly, as his 'guardian angel'.
Had it not been for the generosity of the local lady, then he would not have been able to complete the race - which was his first-ever triathlon and in aid of Tom Harrison House, a charity which helps veterans recovering from addiction.
Recalling the day, Tony said: "I'd like to thank the lady - we still don't know her name, but it was a Welsh name that I don't recall - for saving the day. She appeared from nowhere, like a guardian angel.
"She saw me in distress and asked was I okay, so I explained that I was personally okay, but that my first ever triathlon was over, due to my bike being broken and I was devastated because I was competing to raise funds for veterans in recovery.
"'The angel' kindly let me borrow her bike to complete the cycling section of the race. She even removed the basket from the front of it before she passed it to me! We didn't really swap details; I just remembered her saying that she worked somewhere related to bowling.
"I finished that section with the biggest smile ever on my face and I don't know, from that day to this, if she knows how much her random act of kindness meant to me and the 'Tri For Recovery' team, that I was able to complete the triathlon.
"I would like to thank her from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the residents and staff of Tom Harrison House in Liverpool".
PIC: Tony's friends who returned the bike to his 'guardian angel' but unfortunately did not exchange numbers with her.
Tony returned to Liverpool after he had completed the Bala Triathlon, but his friends were staying overnight in Wales and had the van to transport the bikes.
They tracked down the lady to return the borrowed bike to her but unfortunately did not exchange numbers and therefore Tony has not been able to say a proper thank you.
If you think you can help Tony acknowledge her kindness, please contact arron.evans@newsquest.co.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here