GLL Sport Foundation: Spotlight on Lucy Charles-Barclay
In Waltham Forest we are proud to be part of the UK largest athlete support programme and the application is still open. You can read more about who qualifies and how many athletes GLL (the corporate name for Better) fund in this article.
Lucy Charles-Barclay who is the GLL Sport Foundation Ambassador for Waltham Forest had a tremendous 2023. The big success was setting a new course record as she won the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii for the first time. Since Lucy’s debut in Kona as a pro back in 2017, Lucy has had tremendous success at the Ironman World Championship, but she fell just short of the win in each of her four races on Hawaii’s Big Island. Lucy put all of those near-misses behind her on Saturday as she pieced together a perfect race and etched her name in the Ironman history books once and for all. Lucy crossed the finish line in a time of eight hours 24 minutes 31 seconds and is also the first woman to lead the event from start to finish.
"It's taken me five attempts and I've finally done it," said Charles-Barclay. "I don't think it's sunk in whatsoever, but I'm just over the moon."
Lucy is just the third Briton to win the Ironman World Championship after Leanda Cave and Chrissie Wellington. Her time eclipsed the previous course record held by five-time winner Daniela Ryf of Switzerland since 2018 by one minute and 47 seconds.
How did Lucy do it? Attendees at the Waltham Forest GLL Sport Foundation Awards event last May were treated to some insights as she was on the athlete panel. A key part is her hard work, competitive nature and dare devil spirit.
Lucy started swimming at a young age and immediately showed talent although she didn’t join a swim club until she was 8, by 9 she had won a county championship. At 12 she went to the national finals. There was an aspiration that Lucy could qualify for the London Olympics in 2012 and she got to the final of the 800m freestyle missing out to some exceptional talent. Lucy then used her speedy swimming to catapult her Ironman progress. In her first Ironman attempt in 2014 she was second for her age group. Ironman events suited Lucy’s determination and physical attributes that she has spent a lifetime developing. In 2017 she went professional and was winning on the main stage. Lucy was second at the World Championships in Hawaii, a feeling she would experience two more times before claiming the thoroughly deserved trophy in October 2023.
Lucy has overcome challenges along her way with multiple injuries including stress fractures in the Femur, a stress fracture in the hip and Lucy had a torsion fracture in the third metatarsal a few months before leading the World Championship from start to finish in Hawaii.
The GLL Sport Foundation can offer its athletes support with injuries and via the Switch The Play initiative with mental health too. Lucy has acknowledged that the GLL Sport Foundation gave her confidence that she was on the right path and her talent being recognised.
If you are competitive at an officially recognised regional event you might be eligible for the UK’s largest athlete support scheme. There is still time to submit your GLL Sport Foundation application or if you have any questions you can email Daniel.Bank@GLL.ORG.
Link to apply: GLL Sport Foundation - Athlete Support Programme
You need to be quick as applications close on the 20th of February with no exceptions for late submissions.