Give triathlon a try - it might boost your mental health, says Suzie

Chichester triathlon weekend returns on July 9/10 so we’ve been hearing from Chichester Triathlon Club member Suzie Gibbard on the benefits of the sport.
By Kevin Downey
Published 24th Jun 2022, 09:15 BST
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Suzie Gibbard is 35 and joined Chichester Triathlon Club in October 2021 after suffering some mental health issues. This is her account of her first Triathlon last month.

How was your first proper Triathlon?

I did a Standard Olympic Triathlon at Arundel. I maybe should have done the shorter sprint race but I wasn’t really sure which to do. I really enjoyed it and Felt really proud afterwards.

Suzie Gibbard at her recent triathlonSuzie Gibbard at her recent triathlon
Suzie Gibbard at her recent triathlon

How far was it?

400m swim, 20km ride and 5km run

Why did you want to do a triathlon?

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I suffer a lot from Anxiety. A few years ago my husband was diagnosed with cancer which was a really stressful experience for us both and exercise really helps me cope better with this. Through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, I learned ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ or What’s the best that could happen?’

What experience did you have beforehand?