One year ago, British triathlon superstar Lucy Charles-Barclay was diagnosed with Coeliac disease, forcing her to completely change her diet.
Now, 12 months later as part of Coeliac Awareness Month, she is speaking out on the “highs and lows” and “a lot of learning” she has experienced since.
Coeliac is a disease which causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues when gluten is consumed, damaging the gut and preventing the proper absorption of nutrients from your food.
Last year Lucy felt it held her back, leading to other health issues, but the 31-year-old has now made huge progress since then and achieved a strong third-place finish at the T100 Singapore last month.
LCB ‘so much stronger’ now
In a new YouTube video, she said: “They said it could take a year to heal the damage to my gut. I feel like we’re getting there now.
“I feel so much healthier and stronger. They say your gut is your second brain. They said I needed to cut out gluten and dairy. Thankfully now I can have dairy products.”
Before her diagnosis, Lucy was “constantly dealing with mysterious health issues and unexplained injuries”, which she says brought her from the highs of being crowned 2023 IRONMAN World Champion, to the “lowest lows.”
But writing on Instagram, she said: “What a difference a year makes. It’s #CoeliacAwarenessMonth, and coincidentally, it marks one year since I received my coeliac disease diagnosis.
“To think before this I’d been pushing myself to the limit as a professional athlete without absorbing the fuel I was putting in, it’s just unbelievable…
A truly life-changing diagnosis
“This time last year, I felt like I was running out of avenues to explore. If you’re feeling stuck in a similar situation, you can complete a free self assessment on the @coeliacuk website which will help you determine whether to contact your GP for testing.
“My diagnosis has been truly life changing. I have not only seen so many positive changes in my physical health, but mentally I feel in a much better place too. It’s just such a relief to know the root cause of the problems I was facing.”
Lucy admits it “hasn’t been an easy journey” since she started cutting out gluten – and she still makes mistakes.
She said: “I got sick last month and we found out that Strepsils have gluten in them… It takes the fun out of food. Pizza, that’s gone. I travel with a rice cooker.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey, but I’m getting there—and I’m feeling so much better because of it.”
Charles-Barclay, who is going back to where it all began for her at IRONMAN Lanzarote later this month, is speaking out to raise awareness because only 36% of people who have Coeliac disease are actually diagnosed.
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