In her first ever book, freelance journalist Fry recounts her adventures (and occasional tears and frustrations) as a rookie tri-athlete.
She stars – like many fitness fans before her – as a curious newbie tempted by the buzz of a challenge and keen to explore what it is about the sport that gets people so hooked, but is quickly plunging into a whole new world of increasingly complex training and nutrition plans and emotions, as triathlon’s powerful hold intensifies.
Of course, triathlon is the core theme, but this is a story about so much more than swimming, running, cycling and personal bests – it’s about that very human thing of being drawn to a challenge, the joy and pressures of rising to it and lessons learned along the way.
Fry crosses paths with numerous characters, each playing as important a role in her journey as those early-morning rides, from people overcoming extreme physical and mental obstacles to devotees simply trying to balance their triathlon addiction with regular life and relationships.
Fry’s openness, observations and the connections she builds had me gripped. I’m no triathlete (far from it) but I raced through the book, moved and inspired in equal measure, and rooting for her every step of the way.