His parents were frightened about his future - now he is an Ironman winner

When Jeremy Maclean was 14, he was suspended from school, an event which he admitted left his parents feeling "frightened" for his future.

As a teenager, he had a lot of energy but lacked any outlet for it.

The turning point came, Maclean said, when he went on a cycling trip with his dad and found a passion for triathlons, which changed his life.

"From that point, I couldn't tell you why, but I have been completely hyper-focused," the now 21-year-old said.

"The work that goes into it, is undeniable, it's been six-and-a-half years of complete tunnel vision."

Success came with time - in 2024, he won his first half Ironman race and then, this year, was victorious in his first professional triathlon, Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga.

Normal triathlons see competitors swim, cycle, and run, all in one race but the Ironman events, given their name, take the challenges further - a 2.4 mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112 mile (180 km) bike ride and a full 26.2 mile (42 km) marathon run, all within a 17-hour time limit.

Maclean, from Moseley, has since qualified for his first half Ironman World Championships, where he will be one of the youngest competing.

"There will be the best middle-distance athletes in the world on that start line. I'm not actually feeling a lot of pressure, there are only things to be gained and lessons to be learned," he said.

Maclean credits local grassroots sports clubs including Solihull Cycling Club and Birmingham Running Athletics and Triathlon Club for setting him up on the path to success.

"Athletics clubs are a great place to start in the UK, there's so many running clubs which incorporate triathlon types," he said.

"It's also super low stakes and people in those organisations are only there to help you."

In 2023, he moved to the United States to take up a sports scholarship at Queens University of Charlotte.

While studying, he also works at a bike repair shop and trains 25 hours a week.

"The demand is pretty high. I take one week off every year, and the odd rest day, but I generally spend every single day training," he said.

Maclean, who has dual citizenship as his mum is from the USA, came fourth in the US College Triathlon Championships in 2024, a shorter Olympic-distance event, which he said gained him a professional licence.

Since then he has faced some challenges with injuries, but said his latest win had put him back on track.

His parents, Adam and Amy Maclean, said they are "very proud" of everything their son has achieved.

"We're obviously very proud. But we're proud of the commitment that he makes, the continuous effort," his dad said.

"The results will come, or they won't come. He can't control the results. He can only control the effort, and what we admire is the effort."

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.