Nurse set to compete for team GB in Ironman World Championships

Stanley Murphy-Johns

A nurse who took up exercise during the Covid lockdowns is set to compete for Team GB at the Ironman World Championships in Nice, France in September.

The 36-year-old emergency nurse, based in the Minor Injury Unit in Neath Port Talbot Hospital, went from having not done sport since she was a kid, to competing for Team GB in just three years.

Abbie, who lives in Sketty said: It was Covid times and everything was closed. My brother started doing it and I had always wanted to get into it so I slowly picked it up.”

An Ironman means a 2.4-mile swim followed by cycling 112 miles, then running a 26.2-mile marathon. It is one of the toughest endurance sports to compete in.

That did not seem to bother Abbie though, who said: “I’d done a bit of running but nothing competitive. I’d just go out for a run, nothing serious.”

Abbie is still working full-time, so has to find ways to train around long shifts at the hospital.

Abbie began to improve after joining a triathlon club, Swansea Vale Tri, and training with others.

Selection

She competed in her first major event, just a year after taking up activity, at the Ironman Wales which is held in Tenby.

It took her 13 hours.

“I was a bit surprised with my time. Initially, the goal was just to complete it. I never ever in a million years thought I’d even be doing one to be honest, if someone told me a few years ago.” said Abbie.

In her most recent Ironman Wales this year, she has knocked half an hour off her previous time.

Her times were getting better and better, which meant she began to qualify for various international events.

Abbie was selected for GB, in the 35-40 age group, in this year’s European Championships back in June.

There was an added bonus to her first international call up, her younger brother, Sam Evans, also qualified for the event.

Abbie said: “It was really cool. My brother was selected in his age group as well, so the two of us were competing for GB.”

Despite her meteoric rise, Abbie isn’t putting any pressure on herself ahead of the World Championships next month.

She said: “It’s a sea swim and then a bike through southern France. I’m told the course is really hilly and harder than Tenby but we’ll see.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of competitive girls out there so I’m just going to enjoy the experience and tick the box to say I’ve been.”

Work/Tri balance

Being super fit helps Abbie cope with the challenging workload of her day job.

She said: “I probably feel that I have more energy than a lot of people, which is good as there’s a high turnover of patients.

“Basically all the minor injuries, cuts, sprains, broken bones, dislocations, we see all that.

“We’re one of the busiest MIUs in the UK. We see over 200 patients a day, so it is difficult juggling your training.”

MIU colleague, Karen Jackson said: said Abbie was an inspiration.

She said: “Abbie is a huge inspiration to us all in the MIU.

“I was lucky enough to watch her complete the ironman Tenby last year she had a smile on her face every time I seen her. I also went to the London Marathon this year hoping to see her but she was so fast I missed her!”