A BRACKNELL mum of three and charity fundraiser Ellie Barnes became an Ironman Triathlete after crossing the finish line in Portugal just six weeks after collapsing in Wales.
Recording an exceptional time of 10 hours, 56 minutes, Ellie raced to success just six weeks after collapsing from heat exhaustion at the Ironman Wales where she required medical attention 50 miles into the bike ride.
Taking on the gruelling task of completing a 2.4mile swim, an 112-mile cycle ride followed by a 26.2 mile run, Ellie has had the challenge of juggling training in between being a mum, working at Edgbarrow School, volunteering at First Days Children’s Charity and running her own business, Barnes Fitness and junior triathlon club Reading Rascals.
Elie had been taking on 15-20 hours of training per week since January and has been trained by local triathlete Lewis Williams of PeAK team.
Despite being disappointed at not being able to finish the race in Wales, Ellie put that behind her and ensured her training was put to good use by gearing up for the event in Portugal.
After letting her body recover for 10 days prior to Wales, her attention turned to big weeks of training with the goal of crossing the finish line in Cascais, Portugal.
Ellie achieved her aim and was hugely emotional after crossing the line and said she was so grateful to all the people who sponsored her attempts at Ironman Wales and she felt she owed it to them and she was pleased to now be able to call herself an Ironman and had fulfilled her part of the deal.
Ellie finished 37th female out of 169 finishers, and fourth in her age group. She also qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Nice in September 2023 but declined her space due to the financial and time investment required of training for such an event.
Ellie is raising funds for First Days Children’s Charity in Wokingham who help families experiencing financial hardship and provides them with the essentials they need to have fun, be confident in school and be safe.
For more information, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ellie-does-ironman-wales
