Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Liz Blatchford never saw the timing of the birth of her daughter as a disadvantage to her bid to win the Ironman title in the Philippines.
True enough, 1-year-old Mahli became her greatest inspiration in finishing first.
“[Having her] really helps. There were many times I was hurting during the race and I thought about her, I thought about finishing and seeing her,” said Blatchford, who clocked 9 hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds as she dominated the pro women category.
“Actually, my husband brought her out and I saw her 24 minutes on the run and that was really nice. She recognized me even though I look a little bit different like this,” she said smiling. “She gave me a little wave and it was fantastic and just getting that cuddle at the finish line was beautiful.”
Mahli was her mother’s biggest fan and she welcomed Blatchford at the finish line while being carried by his father Glen Murray
The 38-year-old Blatchford, born in Cheshire, England but is now residing in Queensland, Australia, participated in her first Ironman race since the arrival of Mahli but she never skipped a beat.
“It’s good though. I think being a mother is challenging in a lot of ways it can make you stronger as a person and you can use that as an athlete so it means a lot.”