Reigning 70.3 and former IRONMAN World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay has returned to action – just four weeks after undergoing plantaris tendon surgery.
And she started as she means to go on – with a win in the Women’s 18 Years & Over Essex County Championships at the London Aquatics Centre.
Competing in the 1500m freestyle, LCB took first place in 17:29.40 to underline her extraordinary recovery capacity once again.
A familiar path back
A triathlon return will take a little longer but it was an encouraging start in a sphere she has always excelled (she was a swimmer before moving into triathlon) – and a path she has followed before.
When she was recovering from the calf issue which kept her out of the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, she took part in the Swim England Masters (30-34 years-old section) at the National Championships in Sheffield.
Again racing over 1500m freestyle she powered to a dominant victory in a time of 16:55:36 – a new British & European Masters record by just over seven seconds and one of those she beat that day was none other than her husband Reece!
And in 2021, LCB swam the 1500m in the British Swimming Olympic Trials. She hit the wall in 16:46.26, coming in second place just 17 one-hundredths of a second behind the winner. While it wasn’t fast enough for Charles-Barclay to make the Olympic team, it certainly underlined why she is triathlon’s top swimmer.
‘Patience and trust’
Her recent surgery involved the removal of the plantaris tendon, a small, largely functionless tendon located in the lower leg. Performed through minor incisions, the surgery cut and removed the tendon entirely. Not everyone is born with a plantaris tendon, and for those who do have it, the structure serves very little functional purpose.
Due to the extreme and repetitive demands of her elite-level endurance training, her plantaris tendon had grown significantly larger than typically observed. In Lucy’s case, the tendon had become irritated and was rubbing against her Achilles tendon, causing persistent discomfort. After exhausting all appropriate non-surgical treatment options without sufficient improvement, surgery was determined to be the most effective solution.
The standard recovery protocol for this procedure typically requires athletes to wear a moon boot for six weeks to allow for safe healing and tissue recovery. Yet, in characteristic fashion, Lucy has significantly outpaced expectations.
Reflecting on her recovery and return, Lucy said: “This past month has been a real lesson in patience and trust, trusting the medical team, the process, and my body. The plantaris tendon was something I didn’t even know could cause so many issues, so having it removed feels like a huge step forward. I’m incredibly grateful to be back competing so soon. Standing on the start line again felt special, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
