Search
shop

Lucy Charles-Barclay reveals mindset when Achilles threatened to derail Kona glory bid

British star reveals how she clinched Kona glory
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Lucy Charles-Barclay was a dominant winner of triathlon’s IRONMAN World Championship in Kona earlier this month, but the big-race masterplan was almost derailed on the run.

The 30-year-old British star led from gun to tape on the Big Island as she produced a brilliant all-round performance to finally land the sport’s most iconic race.

Lucy had finished in second place on each of her previous four professional appearances in Kona, and it appeared there might be more heartbreak in store when her Achilles started to flare on the marathon. So what was her mindset in that moment?

How LCB stayed on course in Kona

“My mind started to spiral,” she told The Mirror.

“Is it going to fall apart? Will I be walking?”

It was at this moment that Charles-Barclay dug deep, using the pain of all those Kona near misses to drive her on towards a career-best victory.

“I said no amount of pain will be worse than not winning or finishing second again. So I just had to ignore it. There were times when it would get way worse and ease back but my mind was that it needed to hold on.

“I knew I could endure quite a lot of pain. That makes it even sweeter because I was going to hell and back.”

Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Tape
British triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay takes the tape to win the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii (Getty Images for IRONMAN).

Lucy Charles-Barclay the role model

Lucy also spoke about her status as a role model, and how she loves to let people see her ‘journey’ in sports and ife.

“I’m an open person and often overshare but it’s about people seeing the journey. Hopefully I can inspire more people to get into the sport. I also have a big following among young women and girls and put the battle braids in. I’ve seen someone go to an exam at school with their battle braids.

“It transcends triathlon. There was a nurse before who put her battle braids in before work. That feels really special to be able to inspire them in a small way. Hopefully, I can inspire more people.”

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Vincent Luis San Francisco 49ers tri suit 2025
Short-course triathlon great Vincent Luis is OUT of T100 London
Marquardt Hogenhaug Foley IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
‘World Championship level’ – Marquardt says bike bar was raised at Lake Placid
Solveig Lovseth wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 women’s results: Løvseth shows she’s the real deal and next Norwegian superstar
Matthew Marquardt wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 men’s results: Marquardt wins as defending champ EXPLODES on the run
Matthew Marquardt IRONMAN Cairns 2025 Finish Line
WATCH AGAIN: IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 as Løvseth and Marquardt bag brilliant wins
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...