The incredible story of Jess Learmonth’s return to the triathlon podium after giving birth and struggling for months – if not years – with a series of serious injuries has been told in all its glory as part of the second season in the ‘Dare to Dream’ series.
Her inspirational journey, which includes the high of an Olympic triathlon relay gold medal at the Tokyo games in 2021, is one of eight new tales followed via the World Triathlon YouTube and TriathlonLive.tv platforms and is embedded below.
One of the most talented, yet unassuming athletes on the circuit, she introduces herself by asking if anyone watching will actually know who she even is, before admitting that even she herself accepts she is a completely different athlete, having regained both form and fitness to take her place on the T100 Triathlon World Series start line.
Adding to Brownlee legacy
Leeds born and bred, Jess took up the sport in 2012 after being inspired by legendary brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee – two men who continue to guide her throughout her career as she trains at the specialist Leeds Triathlon Training Centre.
“It’s probably not the most glamorous of places to live, but I’m very lucky to live in Leeds and be from Leeds and be a part of the kind of era that has, I think, put triathlon on the map,” she says. “And it has also put Leeds on the map because of Al and Jon basically.
“Once they started, it was so inspiring and seeing that legacy, like basically creating a Leeds hub that wasn’t there before them. I’m certain it created the structure that we all basically follow now, like the whole triathlon centre still follows their training structure that they basically created.”
T100 a new challenge
Jess also discusses her qualification for the Covid-hit Tokyo games where she was forced to prove her fitness after fracturing her back – something she achieved with a second-placed finish on home turf in Leeds – while she also talks about the pressures of having to battle back to fitness, having reduced her training routine following the birth of her son Fred.
At one point, she even doubts whether she will still have the same hunger for competition, pointing out that “I’ve got Fred and I’ve got other things to affect my training”.
But despite this, and having fought through a serious hip injury – that left her on crutches for six months – and a torn calf muscle, the episode shows just how special this competitor is as she shrugs off the disappointments of her first T100 races in Singapore and San Francisco to finish third in Vancouver.
And the switch to T100 clearly giving her a renewed sense of competitive purpose.
“I think to be in the T100 environment as my first kind of proper race back is a godsend really, because going back to something that I used to do, you’re kind of comparing yourself a lot,” she said. “Having the T100 is just a nice kind of refreshing element to coming back. It’s definitely helped me with being motivated because, like I said, it might, your mindset changes a bit when you have kids.”
Different priorities
And having partner Jon Wilkinson and Fred there to cheer her on may mean a different kind of race preparation and post-event experience, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It is totally different being a mum, and it’s funny because I crossed the finish line in San Fran, and Fred needed his nap. So we were then frantically trying to find a way to get back to the hotel. We were like, ‘forget recovery and chatting to everybody’. We were just trying to whisk Fred off,” she says. “Yeah, that’s completely different. Whereas before you’d be going out, you know, into the athlete lounge, having some food, chatting to people, talking about the race. This time it was like, see you later, I’m off.
“But it’s lovely having them there because it’s more enjoyable for me having my family there rather than in Singapore when I’m, you know, just on my own and missing them. So having them with me makes everything, yeah, way better.”
You can watch the full episode below.
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