Honiton triathlete Kerri-Ann Upham has achieved a superb sixth place in the European Championships for Cross Triathlon and the inspirational Devon star put together a blog of her rise to elite competition.

Held in Portugal, the European Championships comprise a 1200m swim, 20.9km mountain bike ride and a 7.9km trail run.

Kerri-Ann takes up the story: “The cross triathlon European Championships is an event governed by World Triathlon where athletes represent their Country to fight it out for the European title. As an amateur athlete I have raced these championships many times, however, this year, I had earned the privilege to wear the elite GB suit in the pro race.

“Two weeks before the event, I experienced a severe crash on my mountain bike which resulted in significant bruising on my hip and torso. Fortunately, no bones were fractured (and the bike was unharmed), but it shook my confidence. I had to rest for a few days and couldn't run at all leading up to the race.

“When I travelled to Portugal, I was uncertain if I would be able to participate in the race as my hip pain was slowly improving but still quite stiff. Having experienced missing races in the past due to injury, I understood the agony of not being able to start. Therefore, I was willing to seize any opportunity for my injury to heal in time.

On race morning, the alarm always wakes me with a jolt, a sick feeling in my stomach, nerves spiralling out of control as I realise today is the day.

“Race day started with a very strict check in process, as elites we were required to have our bikes checked, kit checked, and even had to declare what kind of shoes we were wearing. Having not done this before I felt like the new kid at school and just tried to copy what everyone else was doing!

“Walking over to the start area to begin my warm up I felt so nervous I could have been sick - why do I put myself through it? However, as we lined up to be presented on to the start pontoon the nerves began to dissipate - this whole thing is so cool!

“They call us out one-by-one, we choose our spot on the pontoon and the World Triathlon officials line up behind us. One minute to the start, the chilling "heart beat" music playing loud and finally the start horn sounds and we dive in for our 1200m river swim. The beginning of the swim was chaotic, with me struggling for position amidst the group. Once the pace steadied, I latched on to another swimmer's feet and managed to exit the water in 6th place.

“The mountain bike trail offered a distinctive experience. Spanning 21km, it featured a fast and flat first half, followed by a second half winding through the City streets. Despite appearing non-technical, the urban section posed significant risks with sharp corners, steep climbs, slippery cobbled surfaces, and unexpected tourists on the course. Leveraging my strong flat road power on the bike, I collaborated with fellow riders to maintain a fast pace. Despite dropping one position, I reached the second transition in 7th place.

“The run was 7km long and included some challenging hills. At the start, my legs felt exhausted, making me worry that I had overexerted them during the mountain biking leg and would struggle to finish. Fortunately, by reducing my pace slightly, I began to regain my strength and found my rhythm. Despite noticing a significant gap between me and the nearest competitor as we ascended to the highest point of the route, I remained focused and maintained a strong pace, knowing that anything could still happen.

“And I was right, anything could happen, and it did.

“To my surprise, I found myself gaining on Morgane Riou, a former World Champion and an exceptional runner. Regrettably, she was experiencing cramps during the race. I empathized with her as she was visibly in agony. In the final kilometer, I moved up to 6th position and managed to maintain it until the finish line.

(Image: Kerri-Ann Upham)

“Hitting the famous blue carpet is always a great feeling, two hours of pain finally coming to an end, I allow a smile to spread across my face and rush over to Rob for my finish line hug.

“Reflecting on my performance, I felt incredibly proud, I made it to the start line, my hip held up and I gave it everything all the way to the end.

“Following the race, there was little opportunity to relax as I needed to return to my regular job and catch an early flight the next morning. Reflecting on my performance, I identified several areas that require improvement, particularly my bike handling skills. Nonetheless, I can draw on some significant positives from the experience, and my confidence is increasing with each race.

“Following this, I will embark on a six-week training build to get ready for the latter part of the season, gearing up for XTERRA Czech Republic and XTERRA Germany in August. Stay tuned for updates on my training, preparation and our epic road trip plans across Europe!

“I want to express my gratitude to my dedicated sponsors, FDB UK, CarterDawes IFA, SignScape and SignConex, for their ongoing support. Special thanks to my physiotherapist at ReBalance Injury Clinic for preparing me for the race, and to my coach and partner, Rob Moore of trimoore coaching, for everything!

“I am always looking for new sponsors to join me on this journey and with my local connection to East Devon would love to have more local businesses on-board.”