Student who couldn't swim eight months ago heads to Ironman World Championships

Credit: University of Bristol Megan Hamill, a student at University of Bristol, has learnt to swim in eight months as she prepares to take on the Ironman World Championships.
Megan Hamill, 23, is preparing to take on the Ironman World Championships. Credit: University of Bristol

A student who has recovered from an eating disorder and could not swim eight months ago has made it to the Ironman World Championships.

Megan Hamill, 23, from County Armagh, Northern Ireland, only took on her first Ironman challenge recently, but is now training for four months to compete in the World Championships in Hawaii.

The challenge will see her again swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles.

The University of Bristol student started to learn how to swim in October and has overcome taking a tumble on her bike during her first Ironman.

After her bike seat broke, Miss Hamill balanced precariously on the bike for the final 30 miles of the cycle, while bleeding from cuts on her arms.

She finished the race in Kaernten-Klagenfurt, Austria, in 15 hours and 26 minutes.

Megan Hamill training on her bike ahead of her first Ironman challenge in Austria. Credit: University of Bristol

Miss Hamill said: “I couldn’t swim in October and I trained on a second-hand road bike I bought from Facebook Marketplace, so I genuinely am ecstatic to make the World Championships.

“I wrote this as a goal in my notes app last November and now it’s actually happening – proof that it pays off to be brave and set goals that are bigger than you are.

“The World Championships is a chance for me to show the world what I’ve really got.”

The student had previously lived with an eating disorder, and had severely restricted her food intake.

Now she shares her recovery with her 35,000 followers on social media and said: “Four years ago my focus was on being smaller and prettier.

"Today my focus is on being faster and stronger. You can change the narrative and change who you are.”

The University of Bristol student will head to the World Championships in Hawaii in October following intense training. Credit: University of Bristol

The championships will take place in Kona, Hawaii, in October, but the geography with innovation master's student will graduate first before she takes up a job with engineering firm Jacobs Solutions in London in September.

She said: “The next four months of training look so exciting. I’ll be exploring the cycle routes of Ireland which will give me good hill training.

“In July I’ll be doing a lot of running in the heat which will prepare me well for Hawaii’s climate.”

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