Persistence to me means training for an Ironman and being on that start line to complete it, despite working more than full time and fitting training around that.
The journey to Ironman Barcelona completely exceeded my expectations. They always say “it’s not about the destination, it’s about how you get there” and that resonated with me working towards this goal. I worked in my job as an NHS doctor and balanced the training with night shifts, long days, working weekends and all the responsibility that being a doctor brings.
There were low points and times when the workouts hurt. I followed my Coach's plan and stayed committed, and kept persisting. I enjoyed 95% of my training and the other 5% were in the dark where it was a real struggle. These were the moments that built character and intensified my persistence because when the motivation wasn’t there I still had the dedication to keep going on my journey.
I completed Ironman Barcelona in October 2019 and it was the cherry on the cake. The journey to get there was one that needed a lot of commitment and persistence, and I made it.
Aftershokz has been a part of my running journey for a while now. Running is my medicine to help my mental health and I run to feel free and use the music to keep me on track. This year I am running 12 half marathons and 3 full marathons (including the London and Berlin marathons which will be my 30th and 31st full marathons!) and will be fundraising to give back to Mind charity.
The need for quality headphones is an absolute must given the miles of training and events I have ahead of me! With my Aftershokz I can bang out the tunes in the morning and late at night while I train but always feel super safe. They now come everywhere with me and I use them in the office for my phone calls which means I can multi-task handsfree.
I’ve stayed persistent in my training and persistence in running to achieve my goals.
I had been running for over a year before falling pregnant with my son. Due to SPD (Symphysis pubis dysfunction) I had to stop running and feared that I would struggle with the motivation to keep going after having the baby. Once my son was born and the SPD had eased, I was back running at 3 months postpartum and I felt like I had slowed right down. I was tracking a 5km run at 45 minutes and felt the grind. I stuck with it though and within 9 months I had a time of 35 minutes for 5km! I have lost two stone in the process and my sons are watching me keep fit. There is nothing better than being a positive role model for them. Persistence has helped me shave ten whole minutes off of my 5km time and I want people to know that, if they keep trying, they can succeed their own expectations.
Being an athlete is all about marginal gains these days and for me, AfterShokz headphones have been one of them. I’m a Paracanoe PARALYMPIAN and while I’m out on the water training they have given me a new lease on life! Having music or an inspirational podcast is a game-changer because I can listen to my coaches and GB team while getting that extra edge. I’m only a few months away from the Tokyo Paralympics now and every session counts. I won a bronze in Rio and I’ve got my eyes set on gold this time around so I’m staying persistent and I’m staying inspired.
I really didn’t enjoy long swim sessions when I started because I found them boring. Since getting Swim I’ve seen massive gains in my swimming. Rather than thinking about how long I have left on the swim, I can enjoy being in the water by listening to my favorite songs, and it’s also been great while I cycle as I can again listen to music without the worry of not hearing the traffic around me something which I was very nervous about. Aftershokz helps me take my mind off everything for each training session because it’s just me and the music.
For me, persistence is the key to everything and when things get tough it’s about pushing through and getting the reward for it.
Back in 2017 I found a love for triathlon and thought I knew what I wanted to do when I finished University. During my final year of study I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and Proctits which require on-going medication to manage. Having this diagnosis and the subsequent illness taught me to be extremely persistent as at the time of diagnosis I was completing my final year university exams, as well as training for the European championships. I have got back to my training and am currently training for the Ironman 70.3 European Championships, as well at 70.3 Graz.
My career trajectory was changed with the diagnosis so I’m now on a path to finding my new passion. Triathlon has definitely helped and since then I’ve completed a number of challenges. One of which was a 24 hour swim, open water, in Scotland. This shows that no matter what you’re going through, if you put your mind to it then your body will follow. This illness and triathlon have taught me to be resilient but also grateful for what I do have.
