Wirral’s Julia Shaw won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games

Oct 20 2010 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL born Julia Shaw won a cycling bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The 45-year-old was only beaten into third place by a much younger Canadian rider and a New Zealander.

Julia was born in Prenton and went to school at Woodcurch Road infants and primary school before moving to Gayton Primary School in Heswall and then to West Kirby Girls Grammar.

Following that she obtained a BSc in physics and an MSc in Laser optics both at the University of Essex.

Her professional career has been as a research and development scientist in high tech innovative industry. Currently she is employed in Hampshire and lives in the New Forest.

Her initial serious involvement in sports dates back to 1994.

She took up the Triathlon and represented Great Britain at several World Triathlon Championships. Out of the three events which make up the Triathlon (swimming, cycling and running) she excelled at cycling and decided to focus on that sport.

Since 2004 she has won too many national cycling championships to mention but her standout achievements include Best British all Rounder in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010.

In addition to national awards she has won a number of international awards including the 2003 World Masters Championship (an event split into age groups) in the 3000m pursuit in Manchester Velodrome, and the 2008 World Masters Championship for the road time trial in Austria.