lyndsey blair
triathlete extraordinaire
Gill Sherry
The hardest triathlon in the world…
Most people would balk at the thought. In fact, most would run a mile if it meant they didn’t have to tackle the 289 miles from London’s Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Not Troon’s Lyndsey Blair. In fact, the first thing Lyndsey thought when it was suggested she should do the Enduroman Arch to Arc Triathlon was, “I could do that!”
The challenge consists of an 87-mile run, a minimum 21-mile swim across the English Channel, and a 181-mile cycle ride.
“I grew up a swimmer,” she explains when I ask what prompted her to take on the challenge, “and I’ve been doing triathlons since about 2012. I swam the Channel in 2022 and decided Enduroman would be a good challenge to do next to raise some money for charity.”
She was given a window from 6th to 15th September for her attempt but had to wait for confirmation that the channel was swimmable.
“The worst part was waiting…”
I find that hard to believe!
“We were down in London ready to start and the weather was not looking good. But eventually we got the call to say there was a swim window… so I was to start my run on the Sunday evening at 8.40pm.”
It was just beginning to get dark when she left Marble Arch. For the first ten miles she was joined by Davie Watt, a strength and conditioning specialist at Callachans Health & Fitness Studio, who cycled alongside her.
“Callachans were our partner support system and Davie cycled with me, just to navigate out of London. But after ten miles you’re on your own, so it was just me, my headtorch, and my Garmin.”
She ran for 22 hours and 13 minutes stopping only when necessary (and safe) to replenish drinks.
“It was dark and lonely, but I kept running. I didn’t sleep at all.”
The next leg of the challenge began at 8.40am the next morning and all was going well until 12 hours into the swim.
“It was getting dark, and the wind had picked up to 17 knots. At one point I was swimming for an hour and half and didn’t move an inch!”
The rules dictate that participants must not touch the support boat and although she could see the crew putting on more coats and hats, all Lyndsey could do was keep swimming.
“I could tell from their demeanour that it wasn’t good. It was getting really choppy and I kept getting thrown away from the boat. They were throwing me drinks on a string but I was unable to catch them.”
I feel anxious just listening to her. Was she not scared?
“I was more scared of failure. My mindset was that I’d set out to get from Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe, so I didn’t want to have to stop.”
When she swam the Channel in 2012 (without a wetsuit) it took her 14 hours. This time (with a wetsuit), the weather conditions resulted in a much more difficult and lengthier swim.
“I fought through the tide and finally crawled onto the beach after over 19 hours of sheer stubbornness.”
It took her around five hours to stop shivering, and aching limbs prevented a restful sleep. But whilst her body was weary, her mind was totally focused on the cycle which began at 5.30pm the next day.
“I was by myself. It got dark really quickly, and it was very windy. I was cycling into a headwind, and I had torrential rain for the first three hours.”
Lyndsey stopped regularly to adjust her clothing and to take on food and drinks. At one point, though, it was simply too dangerous to continue and she was forced to stop for a longer period.
“There were quite a lot of trucks and I felt as though I was getting blown into them, so I stopped for an hour and a half. You get 48 hours to do the ride and it took me 26 hours including stopping time – 16 hours riding time.”
Only now do I realise she had one eye on the clock the whole time.
“The swim had taken me so much longer than I had expected, so I knew the World Record was off… not that I was going for it, but it was a thought in my head.”
The main thing is, she completed the challenge well within the time allowed. Not only that, she’s the first Scot to ever do so, and only the 15th woman!
“That did add an extra element of excitement to it,” she admits, “and to raise money for my two chosen charities, I’m super-proud.”
So far she has raised £26,228, to be split evenly between Ayrshire Cancer Support and Hospitality Action.
“My best friend, Gillian McCluskie, passed away in 2018 from breast cancer aged 36. She had used and relied on Ayrshire Cancer Support during her treatment, so it was always going to be something fitting for her.”
Being involved in the Buzzworks family business, Lyndsey is aware of the fabulous work that Hospitality Action does to support current and former employees of the hospitality industry and decided they too should benefit from her fundraising.
But back to the challenge, I imagine it was euphoric to finally arrive in Paris?
“When I finally got to the bottom of the Champs-Élysées and saw the Arc de Triomphe, I had the biggest smile on my face! And the relief… I was just happy to have made it in one piece. But to have all my family and friends there, especially my kids… My family were very supportive. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Now, you would think having just completed the world’s toughest triathlon, she might want to put her feet up and relax for a while. No, not Lyndsey. She already has another challenge in her sights.
“I’ve just signed a contract for the Catalina Channel next year. I’d like to do the Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming. The English Channel is one, which I’ve done before, then there’s the Catalina Channel… and I’m hoping to get a slot for the 20 Bridges of Manhattan. If you do those three, that’s the Triple Crown.”
The Catalina Channel is a 20.2 mile stretch of water between Catalina Island and the California mainland. Sounds like a nice place for a swim…
“Someone got bit by a shark in the Catalina Channel last week… but I’m still going to do it. It’s only a Great White, it’ll be okay!”
I guess you have to be fearless to take on these challenges. After all, if they were easy, everyone would do them!
It’s been a pleasure to chat to Lyndsey about her epic triathlon. Her success is even more impressive when you realise there were only 12 attempts this year, just three of which were women.
“I was the only woman to succeed. I don’t even think it’s been a 50 per cent success rate this season.”
No wonder she’s super-proud.
If you’d like to donate to Lyndsey’s chosen charities, you can do so at
www.givewheel.com/fundraising/9491/lyndsey-blairs-journey-in-support-of-buzzworks/
