Photo By Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
LAPU-LAPU CITY — Jacqueline Thistleton crashed her bike midway through the course and she could’ve easily quit right then and there.
“It all happened so quickly. Everything was broken. I wasn’t coming at all together,” she said.
But giving up is not an option for the gritty Australian as she picked herself up and soldiered on.
Thistleton admitted her road to recovery was all a blur as her competitive spirit got the better of her for the remainder of the track.
“I guess it was just adrenaline. I think I just had the adrenaline to get on to the bike and see where I can go. It wasn’t pretty coming back on bike,” she said.
She also couldn’t let down the Cebuano crowd down in her first triathlon race in the Philippines.
“I guess it was just the crowd. I had so much support and I’d like to give everyone justice — my family, my friends, everyone. It’s adrenaline, to be honest, and it’s just about it,” she said.
Thistleton’s character showed in weathering the storm and not only did she get back in the race, she also managed to finish second in the elite female category of the 2017 Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines on Sunday here.
After an inspiring stint, Thistleton hopes to get another invite, especially with the 2018 Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship set to be hosted here next year.
“I’ll tell everyone come over and give it a go. It’s definitely worth the trip,” she said with a smile.