HER passport might say she is the property of Great Britain but there is more than a hint of Aussie in the accent of triathlete Leanda Cave.

HER passport might say she is the property of Great Britain but there is more than a hint of Aussie in the accent of triathlete Leanda Cave.

The 30-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist spent most of her teenage years in Cairns and with her parents recently moving back to the Far North she finally had reason to visit one of her childhood homes.

There was just one problem for Cave – and it ultimately betrayed her British heritage.

" I find this time of year probably is a bit too hot," Cave said.

"I think I’d like to come back in winter and do some training here."

Racing consumes Cave’s life and she has the resume to prove it has been a wise choice of vocation.

Since turning professional as a 21-year-old, Cave has been a regular winner on the international circuit.

Some of her major triumphs include the 2002 ITU World Championships (Mexico), 2007 ITU Long Distance World Championships (France) as well as a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games (England).

The sad thing is that Australia can only partly claim her.

Cave was born in England and arrived in Australia when she was a toddler.

She spent two years in Cairns before she and her family started travelling to see the rest of the country only to settle again in the Far North when she was 12.

Importantly, Cairns was the city she raced her first triathlon but nostalgia was not a consideration when deciding what nation to pledge her sporting allegiance to.

"I felt I should race for the country I was born in. While I did grow up here I felt I was British being born in Britain," Cave said.

"In all you end up probably better off racing as a professional in Europe rather than Australia.

"Here it’s quite cut-throat. If you’re not winning races you can’t earn a living from it.

"In the UK you have a better opportunity to earn money. Not just in the UK but in Europe as well."

While she spent most of formative years as a professional in Great Britain, Cave is now based in the United States with boyfriend and coach Torsten Abel and has turned her attention to ironmans.

Her results since making the transition to the longer distances have been encouraging. While a cold ruined Cave’s chances at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this year, her first attempt in 2007 yielded an eighth placing.

The other race she has not ruled out trying to win is the triathlon at the London 2012 Games.

Cave did not try qualifying for Beijing for fears the pollution in the host city might trigger her asthma but she remains keen for a tilt at her home
Olympics.

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