SaqBy Milly McEvoy in Paris
Alison Peasgood and her guide Brooke Gillies happily sang “The Only Way Is Up” despite finishing fourth in the women’s triathlon at Paris 2024.
Dunfermline native Peasgood is proof that not all fourth places are equal as she was delighted to achieve such a feat just over a year after giving birth to her first child.
She and Gillies finished exactly a minute off the podium as Spain’s Susana Rodriguez took gold, beating Italy’s Francesca Tarantello by more than two minutes.
“I’m absolutely overwhelmed,” said Peasgood, who is one of more than 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class programme, giving them full-time training, access to the world’s best coaches and pioneering medical support – all of which has been vital on their path to the Paris 2024 Games.
“I didn’t think I would be here and this competitive just a year after having my son.
“Give me a full year and I’ll be in great shape, but I’m so proud of Brooke for supporting me through this whole ordeal.
“It’s a roller coaster, there’s nothing like it.
“There are days when I feel good, days when I feel bad, but in the end, no matter what I do, I know Logan is going to want to play with me. He’s out there, probably asleep somewhere.”
The Paralympic Games’ para-triathlon has been delayed by a day due to water quality issues that continued to disrupt the Olympics.
However, the water was deemed clear in time for a bumper day of triathlon which saw all 11 events take place in one day, with Great Britain winning five medals, including two golds.
The swim in the Seine, characterised by a strong current, is followed by a technical bike ride, with Gillies, from Glenrothes, admitting to trying three different lines on the three laps.
In the race, Peasgood and Gillies saw Anja Renner extend her lead to take bronze, but with a decent gap to fifth place they were able to enjoy the latter stages.
That included spotting their families and keeping an eye on Peasgood’s son, Logan, but Peasgood admitted that sometimes his family’s support was a hindrance.
She added: “There was one corner that was really noisy, and I think it was my family actually,
“I thought this was the place I really wanted to listen to Brooke, shush!”
The couple built an incredibly strong bond despite Peasgood having to take several months off from training due to her pregnancy.
The bond was tested when she announced her pregnancy to Gillies, just a week after the 26-year-old left her life behind for Loughborough to train with Peasgood.
The pair are even closer now, with Logan often joining them as a training buddy, and that bond means the two have finished each other’s sentences as they look to the future.
As Gillies sang, “The Only Way Is Up,” Peasgood continued enthusiastically, “No, I’m like, wait a second, if I can do this in a year, where can I go?”
The last word was left to Gillies who said: “You’re going far, I can tell you that, I just have to follow her!”
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