It never crossed Fenella Langridge’s mind growing up that she might become a full-time athlete, never mind an Ironman champion. A sporty child, she loved hockey and also competed in swimming and cross-country running as well as multi-sport events like biathlon.
It was only in her final year at Cardiff Metropolitan University that she caught the bug and took up triathlon. Training alongside full-time athletes made her realize that she too could do what she loved while also making a living.
“Before that point I didn’t even think it would be possible,” she told The Mirror. “It was never a dream or an ambition - I thought I was going to be a teacher or go into the military or something else when I was growing up.”
After graduating, she continued to train while also working a range of full-time jobs as a personal trainer along with stints in a law firm and bike shops.
She initially participated in Olympic-distance triathlons and in 2018 decided to go longer as she entered the world of Ironman 70.3, that being the total distance covered in miles across a swim, cycle and run.
She made an immediate impact with medal placings in her first two outings before Fenella moved into full Ironman territory in 2021. After swimming for 3.8 km followed by a 180 km cycle and a 42 km run, Fenella won silver in her first outing at Coeur d’Alene.
It heralded a run of top-three finishes in competitions across the world followed including bronze at the iconic Challenge Roth in 2021, clinching second a year later and fourth in 2023.
Come December 2023 and Fenella reached the top of the podium for the first time with victory in Ironman Western Australia.
The moment of victory is unforgettable. “You never forget your first Ironman win,” she said. “They’re harder to get these days with fields getting even more competitive so it’s nothing to take for granted and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life, it was amazing.”
