‘Heartbreak to World Champion in 4 Weeks’ is a brilliant insight into Lucy Charles-Barclay‘s incredible journey from Kona DNF to IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion.
Shot and produced by Lucy’s sister Holly, it underlines the rollercoaster of emotions that Lucy and her husband Reece went through – from the depths of despair in Hawaii to the highest of highs in Marbella.
We showcased exactly what happened on the Big Island here earlier this week and the video in full is embedded below and most definitely worth watching for a whole array of insights from Team Charles-Barclay.
Turning things around
Looking back to how the transformation began, Lucy says: “I feel that within 48 hours of the race we were already saying ‘hang on a minute, we need to turn this around’. And the quicker we do it, the better. Just to really switch out of that heartbreak so we were in to a more positive place.
“We had a lot of things going on. We lost Reece’s granddad and it was just a really, really tough time.
“And I was struggling mentally to get going. I was doing the training – and physically I was actually doing pretty well – but mentally it felt like a real struggle.
“Thankfully I knew I only had to do it for three weeks but then after two weeks my headspace just completely changed. I was so much more positive and the numbers I was seeing were positive.
“I was like ‘okay, I might be turning this around’. And from not even knowing if I would make the start line in Marbella, I actually felt like I could do quite well.”
Incredible contrast
Many outside of the inner circle had wondered whether Lucy and Taylor Knibb, who suffered her own Kona heartbreak even closer to the finish line, would have recovered in time to race again in 2025, let alone less than a month later at another World Championships.
But they both flew late to Spain and looking back now Lucy explains: “It was quite liberating. I knew I felt pretty good but there was no expectation on me. Pretty much my main goal was just to enjoy the day and whatever will be, will be – which for a World Championship is a very different approach to normal.
“I was just excited to see what I could do and how my body and mind had come around after Kona.”
And we soon had the answer – she made a typically superb start in the swim as she led none other than Knibb by nearly a minute. As with Kona, the two were again close together on the bike – with the course giving Lucy welcome echoes of many of her rides in Lanzarote, a favourite training base.
It all meant that she reached T2 relatively refreshed this time and it showed on the run as she first closed down Knibb and then kicked clear on her way to a famous victory.
This time the hugs would be very different and of the run up the finish chute, Lucy says: “I think it’s probably the most emotion and energy I’ve ever had. I had no control of it.
“It was such a contrast to hugging in Kona. It was so special, almost like a full circle moment – from heartbreak to elation.”
