‘Do not shy away’ – Tommy Fury on his T100 debut on the French Riviera

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Boxer Tommy Fury followed in the footsteps of Team Ramsay when he competed in the T100 age-group race on the French Riviera last weekend.

Team Ramsay – which included swimming legend Adam Peaty – raced the Olympic distance event at T100 London and you can read how they got on here.

But Fury, the brother of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, headed to the south of France for the first edition of what was a new event on the calendar.

Facing him was the 100km triathlon distance, comprising a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run.

Seconds out

Shortly after crossing the finish line he said: “The T100 was amazing, honestly, I felt like towards the end it was like I was just in my own world. When you get like 8 miles into a run, 9 miles into a run, you’re just on a different planet, you know, especially after hours of cycling and you know, for me, well over an hour and a bit in the water. So it’s unbelievable that the human body can do marvellous things when you put your mind to it.”

Asked what was going through his head, Fury said: “Just get it done, you know, forget about everybody else. I’m not in competition with anybody else. This isn’t my sport. I’m a fighter. I’m coming here just to compete against myself, so that’s all it was to do.”

Compared with his sport of boxing, he said: “It’s different, it’s so much different, you know, in boxing, you don’t know what to prepare for, so you’ve got the element of your opponent coming in and you don’t know what he’s gonna do.

“Whereas this, you know full well you’ve got to do it. So that’s even more taxing because you know exactly how far you’ve got to do in each thing. And there’s nobody out there, there’s no breaks either. So I admire anyone who does them.”

‘Do not shy away’

Asked why he did it, Fury replied: “Because it’s something new. I prepare and train to get ready for fights, and jumping in the water, getting on the bike is completely uncharted territory for me. I wanted to prove whatever I put my mind to, I can do.”

And he advised others to follow in his footsteps: “Definitely do it. Do not shy away, get it done because I can tell you now, the feeling that I’m gonna have in about 15 minutes once I’ve came round a little bit, I’m gonna feel on top of the world. So everybody get yourself up, get training and get in.”

Fury is no stranger to triathlons having done an IRONMAN 70.3 in June 2023 but he has recently been focused on the filming for his new BBC documentary called ‘Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury’.

“I’d been filming in the days leading up so my training has been limited – we all have other life commitments that come up and could deter us, but I made this commitment to myself and I was here to get it done.”

Fury’s T100 triathlon challenge will be featured in one of the episodes included in the six-part series, which started on 19 August and offers a raw and real look into the “worst year” of Fury’s life, his battle to prove himself in and out of the ring, his relationship with girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague, and his life behind the scenes.

Asked what was special he said: “Do you know what the best thing about – my missus and my baby [Molly-Mae Hague and Bambi] were here. I had no idea they was going to be here. It was the best thing I could have wished for while I was on that course, so I’m happy they’re out here and it was for them.”