An Isle of Wight para-triathlete took on non-disabled athletes at a London event last month, returning to the sport after a four-year hiatus.
Wight Tri member Laura Curwood raced the London Triathlon at Docklands, competing against non-disabled athletes, not fellow para-triathletes, for the first time.
After a 3am start, Laura’s race started with a bang, diving into the Thames and becoming the second person in her wave to clamber out of the water.
The bike route, on her recumbent hand bike, weaved around the outskirts of central London, with Laura achieving a personal best, before transitioning for the 2.5km run.
The final leg of the race, which she executed on her pro-racing wheelchair, took her around the outside of the ExCeL Centre.
Despite some technical issues, Laura managed to get back up the ramp and zoom down straight to the finish line.
Her overall time was 52 minutes and 14 seconds, finishing second in her age category and placing 22nd out of 128 non-disabled people.
Laura said at the end of the race: “Am I delighted with the result? Absolutely.
“Does it feel good to be back in the game? It sure does!
“Will I be back next year for more? Just try and stop me…”
Laura has two more races booked this year at Dorney Lake, racing in the para-triathlete category.
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