“On the swim, I tap Alison on the head when we are turning a corner and she will know from beforehand which way we are turning, then as soon as we are out of the swim I can talk to her.”
Manners, who also competes in able-bodied races, says the biggest challenge when she started guiding was learning to ride and handle a tandem, which can reach speeds of around 30mph.
“It’s quite different to a solo bike,” the 24-year-old said. “You can’t lean much and you can’t get out of the saddle because it’s a heavier bike, so doing corners and going uphill takes the most practice.”
But, before they even get on the tandem, the pair have to negotiate the transition from swim to bike.
“It needs to be coordinated and there is no point in one of us being really ready before the other one is, we need to be doing it together,” said Patrick, who was recruited from an athletics background in 2013.
“We would practice it loads in the car park in Canada, just to make sure it was going to be slick.
“We even talked it through again in our heads before the race about which side we would run up and which leg we would step over with.”
The former track runner, who struggles to see well in bright lights, says having someone alongside her on the start line takes away some of the pre-race nerves and provides extra motivation in the run.
“Having that person there, you know they will help get you through it, no matter what,” she said. “Equally, you don’t want to let them down because they have helped you out so much. You’d hope it was their goal and their dream, as well as yours.”