Welcome to my web site!
Latest news - I have been lucky enough to be selected to again ride for the Tri-UK racing team, and will be proudly supporting the team sponsors when racing around the country.
My name is Beth Greenaway.
On June 15th, if all goes well, I will fulfill one of my dreams by competing in the 70.3 UK Half-Ironman race. During my quest I will raise funds for the GUCH Patients Association (Registered Charity No 1041866). GUCH is a charity offering support to Grown Up Congenital Heart patients in the United Kingdom. This is a cause very close to my heart (pun intended), as I am a GUCH patient. I was born with heart defects and have lived with the condition all my life. I had my first major open heart surgery in 1981 when I was nine years old. Fortunately, it was a success, and I then had twenty good years before my health again started to decline. As a result, I had more open heart surgery in August 2005, to replace a faulty valve. There is now a part of some one else beating in my heart.
The 70.3 (Half-Ironman) distance race consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile cycle, and a 13.1 mile (half-marathon) run. The activities are completed one after the other, and the fastest time wins. The best women (elite professional athletes) will finish in around 5 hours. I will be very happy if I cross the line within 7 hours. By competing in this race, I hope to show others that with the right training and motivation, you can achieve almost anything. There will be 1500 other competitors in race, all who will be challenging themselves and exploring their own physical and mental limits.
My health is never perfect, so training and competing in this race will undoubtedly be a struggle. My motivation and support comes from my fellow GUCH patients. For many, the act of just staying alive is beating the odds, often a daily act of courage, and an achievement to be celebrated. The GUCH patients association provides an invaluable resource and support network for patients and relatives. In the last few years when my health was again failing, they have been a great source of advice, friendship and inspiration. By completing this challenge, I want to show what some GUCH patients can achieve, and raise funds to support the organization. I hope you will join me in funding their good work. I also want to thank for my new lease on life, the great medical teams at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, and the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Words cannot thank them enough! Thump, Thump, Thump, Yep, it's still beating.
In November 2006 I completed the MiamiMan Half Ironman in Florida. The race did not quite go to plan (see my 2006 training diary), but I made it over the finish line in just over six and a half hours. 2007 was an up and down year. I raced only three times, Lanzarote in May, the London Triathlon in August, and the MiamiMan Olympic distance in November. I hope that 2008 will be a better year, with a fairly packed racing schedule planned.
I have been offered the incredible opportunity to again be a member of the TRI
UK/GATORADE triathlon team in 2008. They are the largest trade based
triathlon team in the county and contains some of the countries top and age
group champions. With over 15 years of experience, the TRI UK/GATORADE Race Team
has been the home of Olympians, World and National Champions. It is an honor to appear in the colors of this elite
team, and I will be racing with them at a number of national and international
races throughout the season. Team sponsors include industry leaders TRI UK,
FOOR, Sundog, Gatorade, Saucony, Aquasphere, Van Nicholas, Carnac, Easton,
Fizik, MET, SRAM, Cyclops, Craft, and TRI247.com.
TRI UK, established 15 years ago, is the largest Triathlon retailer in
the world and offers a full store and mail order service. They have been
responsible for introducing many brands to the UK market. To find out more about
the team and their sponsors visit the TRI UK on the internet
site www.triuk.com or call the store on
01935 414142
For further information, or details of sponsorship, please contact me at beth@merlinfitness.com or see this page
This page was last updated on 05/24/08.