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LIL LETTER
IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS
I’ve just come off tracking Lucy Gossage’s efforts at the Winter Spine Race and all I can say is, ‘Incredible!’ For those that might not know of Lucy, she’s a former top-notch triathlete who won numerous Ironman events. She also made a name for herself in duathlon.
She’s now an NHS oncologist at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, but hasn’t lost her endurance legs or love of a challenge. Hence, her efforts at the Winter Spine Race, which is one of the most brutal events around – a non-stop 268-mile ‘run’ along the Pennine Way in mid-January.
The race is often lashed by rain but this year it was the cold that took centre stage as temperatures plummeted. That didn’t stop Lucy as, for a good chunk of the race, she sat in second place behind the eventual winner Claire Bannwarth.
Lucy had overcome the icy terrain and sleepwalking, but fatigue eventually struck over the last 24 hours and she dropped to third – a still magnificent achievement for one of the most positive and inspirational athletes around. Congratulations, Lucy. Roger Jarrold
220 replies: Roger, you’re absolutely right – Lucy is an absolute hero, in both sporting and professional spheres. She’s also one of the nicest people you couldever meet. To that end, at time of writing, Lucy’s Winter Spine efforts had raised nearly £25,000 for charity Moving Against Cancer – an incredible 10 times the target. You can add to that by logging into JustGiving.
THE LEGEND IS BACK
I’m no Spaniard but may I wish Javier Gomez the best of luck for the 2024 season. I’m a long-time triathlete and huge Gomez fan, from the days when he wasn’t selected for his country for the 2004 Olympics to then winning five world titles [between 2008 and 2015].
His battles with Alistair Brownlee have gone down in triathlon folklore. (I have a confession to make – I wanted Gomez to beat Alistair at the peak of their powers, in 2012, but Alistair edged it at the London Olympics.) And the sight of Gomez striding away from the competition, taking him to yet another victory, is an image that’ll stay with me forever.
Many of your readers might think Gomez has retired but, now approaching his 41st birthday (on 25 March – I told you I was a fan!), I’
