Lucy's Super-Sprint Triathlon 🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Having always been active from a young age, for a long time I never had to give my physical fitness a second thought. After a childhood of gymnastics, athletics and long distance running, I'd surprise people with my strength and speed if ever there was an opportunity to demonstrate it. I'd also happily show off my party trick of backflips and walking handstands after a few too many glasses of wine!

So when I fell pregnant with my first daughter Maisie in 2019, I confidently told my colleague that, "of course me and my bump would be continuing our pre-work pilates sessions and post-work park boot camps!". Yet, just a few weeks later, I found myself unable to exercise at all on doctor's advice because of antenatal issues. 

This didn't seem so bad at first. After all, it was only 9 months! That was, until I was diagnosed with postnatal diastasis recti, a condition which effects your stomach muscles, and again, anything other than walking and my physio exercises were off the cards until it improved. 

It was a slow journey to recovery...so slow in fact, that I had fallen pregnant again in the meantime. Complications again meant that I found myself (with the exception of going for walks) inactive. Tragically, this pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth - and to add salt to the wound, my diastasis recti was back. 

This time I was determined to introduce gentle exercise at the very least into my routine. I began yoga and sea swimming, both of which were invaluable for my mental health while I grieved the loss of my second daughter Pip. 

When I fell pregnant again for a third time, I tentatively continued with these activities (if floating in a pool and sitting on a yoga mat in meditation count...). 

After the birth of my rainbow baby boy Isaac in 2022, I was so overjoyed, that my returned diastasis recti seemed pretty insignificant at first. But as the months passed, it dawned on me that my fitness was at an all-time low. After 5 years of pregnancies and post-natal issues, my body and once strong core was a wobbly mess! 

There is so much pressure on women to 'bounce back' after having babies, but it is rarely that easy or simple - for all different reasons and circumstances. That's before the challenge of actually finding the time to exercise in-between looking after little people and likely working too!

It has been a challenge, but over the last year and a half, I've been slowly but surely rebuilding my fitness, one run, one swim, one yoga class (and one Joe Wicks workout!) at a time. 

This Super-Sprint Triathlon is something that would have come easy to a former me. Today, on the other hand...it's terrifying! I'll be doing it to prove to myself that I can do it! And to power me through, I'll be thinking of all the other mummies and anyone facing fitness obstacles, whatever they might be! 

Meanwhile, I'll be raising money for a cause that's so close to my heart. My daughter Pip (who would be turning 4 this year) had Down's Syndrome, and since her death I've been volunteering and raising money for the Seaford Down's Syndrome and Special Needs Support Group in her memory. The group makes such a huge difference to so many families (and if Pip was here today, it's likely we would have been one of them)  - any donations will be hugely appreciated 🙏

I'll be doing the Hove Super-Sprint Triathlon on Sunday August 31st.

Thank you for reading my story!