SINGAPORE – Australian triathlete David Lowry will be turning heads at this weekend’s T100 triathlon at the Marina Bay owing to his unconventional choice of ride in the cycle leg – a BMX bike.

The 47-year-old is not doing it for eyeballs or laughs. He will be competing in memory of his late brother Damien, who died of suicide in 2022. He will wear an “R U OK” singlet during the race to raise awareness for mental health and raise funds for charity.

Lowry said: “It was probably about 17 years ago when we were watching the first Ironman Port Macquarie on the east coast of Australia and we were out there watching the bikes go past and my brother was enjoying the triathlon scene when he made that comment.

“At the time, we just had a really good laugh, never thought much of it but we actually did over the years talk about how it would be good to see a BMX bike out there on an Ironman course.”

On his brother’s death two years ago, he added: “It was a complete shock to us. Suicide is one of those things that impacts unfortunately too many people... I ride it for him and for anyone that’s been lost.

“I kind of only felt appropriate that with his passing that I do the triathlon in his memory and to raise some awareness around suicide.”

Lowry has over 200 races under his belt and has been competing since he was 13, after a teacher introduced him to the sport.

The Singapore T100, which was previously known as the Professional Triathletes Organisation Asian Open, will be his first race outside Australia.

He said: “The opportunity to do a triathlon overseas and to do it in a city like Singapore is amazing. One of the most exciting things you can do is to ride a bike on closed roads that ordinarily are open only to cars.”

Some of triathlon’s biggest names such as Ironman 2023 world champion Sam Laidlow and two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee will compete in the T100’s elite category on April 14. Reigning Olympic gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt will not be back to defend his title as he will be focusing on the Paris Olympics instead.

In the women’s elite race on April 13, defending champion Ashleigh Gentle and Ironman 2023 winner Lucy Charles-Barclay will be battling for gold in Singapore.

Some 6,000 enthusiasts are expected to compete in the two-day event in the T100 (2km water swim, 80km cycle, 18km run) and duathlon (9.5km run, 64km cycle, 9.5km run). Spectators around Marina Bay will be able to cheer on the participants, including Lowry, who will race in the T100’s experienced amateur category on April 14.

Turning emotional when asked what his brother would do if he was there to watch him race, Lowry said: “I think he would have been there with a big grin on his face, looking on the sidelines.

“There’s an element of cheekiness about Damo and he would have loved to have seen the BMX riding alongside all of those sleek triathlon bikes.”