A HAMPSHIRE vet will take on the gruelling challenge of the women’s Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

Rebecca Fellows, a vet at Stable Close Equine Practice in Martyr Worthy, will be lining up alongside the world’s best triathletes on Saturday October 14.

The championship will take place in and around Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of Hawaii Island, and Rebecca qualified by achieving a podium finish in Portugal’s Ironman competition.
Ironman is an extreme, long-distance triathlon that starts with a 3.8km (2.4 mile) open-water swim, immediately followed by a 180km (112 mile) bike ride and is completed with a marathon of 42.2km (26 miles). 

To ensure she’s in peak condition for the event, Rebecca has been putting in 18 hours of training every week around her role as an ambulatory vet at Stable Close Equine, which is supporting her efforts by providing sponsorship to cover some of her travel expenses.

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Rebecca said: “I couldn’t be prouder to be competing in the World Championship as it is the event every triathlete wants to take part in. It’s going to be an incredible experience, but the conditions will be extremely tough as the weather will be hot and humid. It can also be very windy in Hawaii, which will add an extra challenge to the run and cycle. 

“I’m probably most looking forward to the swim as being surrounded by sea life will help take my mind off how much hard work it will be!

Hampshire Chronicle: Rebecca Fellows

“To have qualified for the championship is amazing and now my main goal is to enjoy it. I’m really looking forward to standing on the start line as fit and healthy as I can be, having done everything I can to prepare myself.”

Rebecca took up running while training to be a vet at Glasgow University, then discovered triathlons after recovering from an injury that meant she couldn’t run but could cycle and swim instead.

She added: “What I enjoy most about Ironman competitions is the personal challenge and part of the appeal is having three disciplines ahead of you and not knowing what’s going to happen. Completing an event like this also helps you think that anything is possible – if I can do this, nothing else can be that difficult."

Rebecca has fitted in two or three training sessions a day around her busy job visiting equine patients around the Hampshire area. To help acclimatise her body to the hot conditions in Hawaii she has been running and cycling while wearing extra layers of clothing, as well as alternating gym and sauna sessions. She will also be continuing her heat acclimatisation in Hawaii in the days running up to the championship.

The athlete will be cheered on from home by her colleagues at Stable Close Equine, and her mum, dad, two of her siblings and her boyfriend Simon Tickner will be travelling to Hawaii with her.