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Sportsister catches up with Lucy Gossage

October 4, 2024
Sportsister catches up with Lucy Gossage

Professional triathlete Lucy Gossage has had an amazing season after turning her talents to duathlon earlier this year.

Sportsister catches up with Lucy GossageIn March she won the British Elite Duathlon Championships, which earned her a place on the British team at the European Long Course Duathlon Championships in April, where she stormed to victory in her first international duathlon race.

Then in September she went on to win silver in the World Long Course Duathlon Championships in Zofingen whilst continuing to enjoy success in triathlon, coming 5th in this year’s Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Wiesbaden.

Lucy is a former British Age Group triathlete who turned professional following her excellent result in the 2010 Ironman World Championships, where she finished 8th Age Grouper overall.

What makes her achievements all the more amazing is that Lucy is also a cancer doctor and is combining triathlon with studying a PhD on kidney cancer!

Age Group triathlete and Sportsister contributor Helen Russell recently caught up with Lucy to find out the secrets of her success.

What is your sporting background?

I wouldn’t say I had one really! I’ve always been a very active person but I hated running with a vengeance ever since coming last in a cross country race aged 12! At university I enjoyed playing lots of sports, though I didn’t do any of them particularly seriously and was definitely a “participant” rather than a “competitor”. A typical Saturday might have involved a hockey match for the medics’ “drinking” team, followed by a tennis match with friends and a college squash match.

How did you start out in triathlons/duathlons?

I entered my first triathlon in 2005 in the same way that most people decide to do a marathon - I wanted a challenge. Someone suggested the London Triathlon so I bought a bike and a wetsuit, did a bit of training and finished the race. Like every novice I questioned what on earth I was doing before the start, lining up at the docks with an army of wetsuit clad women, all of whom seemed to be far more clued up than me. This all changed the minute the start gun went off, and running down the finish, mid-pack, with a huge beam on my face I realised I would definitely be doing more triathlons in the future!

Shortly after that a long term relationship ended and I suddenly found myself with a lot more time on my hands. One of the medical students I was teaching at the time mentioned the word “Ironman” to me and explained what it entailed. Ridiculous I thought… until a friend in a night club dared me to do one the next year. The idea slowly grew on me and (as you do!) I decided if I was still single by New Year’s Day I’d enter one. So I guess it was fate that on New Year’s Eve in Scotland I met someone who had done an Ironman. He said it was one of the most incredible experiences of his life. On 2nd January I ran a half marathon on the treadmill. On 3rd January I entered Ironman UK.

Wow, that sounds extreme!

Looking back I had absolutely no idea what I had let myself in for. I found a free training plan on the internet and did every single session on my own without an iPod. All this was intermingled with night shifts, my final post-graduate exam and job applications. I did nearly all of my long runs hung-over and all my friends thought I was utterly mad. Crossing that finish line I was completely and utterly elated. I had achieved the impossible, and loved it. Job done! In fact I ended up winning my age group and qualifying for Hawaii, something I only realised when I was looking at the results online at work the next day.

What do you consider to be your best result to date?

Nothing will ever beat the feeling of finishing your first Ironman! Vitruvian 2010 was the first time I ever raced to the limits of my capability and I still look back at that as my breakthrough race. However I guess probably my best result is winning Ironman 70.3 Ireland last year.

You have had great success in duathlon showing that you can combine triathlon with duathlons. Do you plan to do more duathlons?

I never actually planned to do duathlons this year. I entered the British one on a bit of a whim and the European duathlon was a true bonus race which I only heard about when British Triathlon asked me if I wanted to go! So winning both was a big surprise and not something I had planned at all.

How did you make the leap from age grouper to professional?

After Hawaii in 2010 (where I finished 8th age grouper overall) I realised that I enjoyed pitching myself against the best. I don’t need to win races to be satisfied; I just want to know that I’ve got the best out of myself. So I plucked up the courage to apply for my pro license. I was terrified in the first few races but am so pleased I had the courage to make the jump!

Do you still work full time? How do you manage to combine competing at a professional level with working?

In September last year I converted from full time to part time work. So I now work three days a week and have a bit more time to train and recover. Life is imminently less stressful – though there still seems too little time in the week! For me at the moment this is the perfect balance. Triathlon still seems more like a hobby than a job and remains fun. And I’m much more productive at work now I’m not permanently sleep deprived!

At the moment British women are very successful at long distance racing. Why do you think this is?

I think success breeds success. When I was working in Nottingham I used to train a lot with Lou Collins (World Champion Ironman Hawaii 25-29 age group, 2010). I certainly used her success to drive me on and think we both helped each other get to where we are now. I guess we all push each other on. This year is interesting as Chrissie [Wellington] not racing gives people like Rachel Joyce (4th Pro World Champion Ironman Hawaii, 2011) a chance to really make their mark on the long distance scene.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to qualify for Kona as a Pro one day but suspect I will leave that until 2014. Maybe I’ll try an IM on a fast course one day and see how close to 9 hours I can get!

Funny you should say that Lucy… After speaking with Sportsister Lucy went on to record a sub-9 At Challenge Barcelona, becoming one of only very few women to achieve the feat. Huge congratulations from all at Sportsister HQ!

Helen Russell, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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