Woman dreams of Ironman success after boat accident

A retired police officer from Kent is set to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii after overcoming a serious injury that threatened to end her racing ambitions.

Catherine Linney from Sevenoaks had spent seven months recovering from a boat accident in 2025 which resulted in a complex ankle stress fracture and an osteoporosis diagnosis.

Despite having only 12 weeks to prepare for her first full Ironman challenge, she came first in the 55-59 age group in Leeds to qualify for the World Championship in Kona.

"It's the iconic triathlon event which everyone aspires to compete in," Linney says. "Just being there is really exciting."

Initially, Linney thought her triathlon hopes were in doubt due to the serious injury she had sustained.

"After I finished sailing, I was coming onto the shore and taking the rudder off. I then heard a scream behind me," the 57-year-old said.

"A boat knocked me over, I think it had lost control."

Linney's coach, Jo Watkinson, said she had "no words" to describe her reaction when she knew about Linney's achievement in Leeds.

"When Catherine messaged me telling me she had won in her age group, I was so proud of her. It's such an incredible result."

The competition in Kona is due to take place on 10 October.

Competitors must complete a 140.6-mile (226km) course, consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.8km) swim, a 112-mile (180km) bike ride and a 26.2-mile (42.2km) marathon.

Nearly 3,000 athletes take part in the prestigious event, and a man from the south-east of England had already etched his name into the championship's history.

Billy Monger from Charlwood, Surrey, broke the Ironman record in Kona for a double amputee in 2024, finishing the race in 14 hours 23 minutes and 56 seconds.

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