Her Spirit Podcast

Louise and Annie talk to Professional Triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay about life as a triathlete, over coming career threatening injuries, and her disappointment of not making the 2012 Olympic swimming team.

Her Spirit Season 3 Episode 18

In the eighteenth episode of season three of the Her Spirit podcast BBC Breakfast Louise Minchin and BBC Triathlon presenter Annie Emmerson talk to Professional Triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay.

A former competitive swimmer, Great Britain's Lucy Charles-Barclay made the switch to Ironman triathlons and is now a regular contender for top titles.

In 2014, Lucy Charles-Barclay decided to enter a triathlon after a 10 year competitive swimming career that included an Olympic Trials final for Great Britain. Never mind that she had no triathlon experience and had to actually learn how to ride a bike, Lucy threw herself in at the deep end of the toughest triathlon discipline of all – Ironman – and amazed by finishing Ironman UK.

Her talent shone instantly in Ironman and it took Lucy less than a year to become an a double world champion in the Female 18–24 age group, winning both the Ironman and 70.3 titles in 2015.

After turning pro in 2016, again it took her just one year to achieve her first professional victory. She won the 2017 edition of Ironman Lanzarote by demolishing the field in a course record time.

Now the British phenomenon has achieved several podium finishes and it seems just a matter of time before she claims her first full Ironman World Championship title.

Lucy only learned to ride a bike in 2014 and almost ended up doing her first Ironman on a mountain bike!  It's a brilliant insight and conversation with Annie and Louise into her life as professional triathlete and how she has overcome many challenges over the last ten years. 

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