Bianca Fernandez-Clark: 7x Ironman Finisher and Founder of Women in Tri UK, Making Triathlon More Inclusive for Women.

Bianca Fernandez-Clark is a 7x Ironman finisher, Chair, and co-founder of Women in Tri UK, a charity on a mission to bring more women into triathlon and break down barriers in the sport. With no background in sport, Bianca laced up her trainers at age 29 to tackle a 10km as a way to manage her mental health. From there, she progressed to marathons and, in 2016, took on the challenge of learning to swim and cycle to complete her first triathlon. As a Black/mixed-race woman, Bianca has been vocal about the lack of diversity in triathlon, especially at long-distance events, and has worked to highlight the barriers faced by the Black community in accessing swimming.  In 2022, she co-founded Women in Tri UK, and the organisation has been growing ever since, working hard to make triathlon more inclusive and accessible for women everywhere. By day, Bianca works full-time in the financial sector, but every spare moment is dedicated to continuing her own triathlon journey and supporting the work of Women in Tri UK. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Bianca Being based in London Being serious about the sport of triathlon Staring running at 29 and then moving into triathlon  in 2016  Working full time in the financial services Founding Women in Tri UK - which aims to break down barriers and make the sport more accessible for women Being at advocate for women, especially women of colour  Building a community to support women in the sport  Growing up in the Dominican Republic  Not being encouraged in sports from a young age Dealing with curly, afro hair  Having zero background in sports Not being naturally good at sports What changed at 29  Living in Spain to study for her Masters How running gave her a life line Going from the couch to 5k  Crossing the finish line of her first 10K race Feeling alive again Not falling in love with running straight away Going on a journey of self discovery Deciding to sign up for her fist Marathon  Discovering the group - the running bug in the UK Meeting a guy who could give her advice… Being with her partner for 10 years Being a part of the running community  Not being very fast and being more suited for endurance  Getting into triathlon Signing up for swim classes and learning to ride a bike for the first time Doing her first triathlon which was a women only event.  Wanting to take on an ironman  The stress of cutoffs  The time commitment involved in training  Making training work for her lifestyle  Doing the best training that she can with the time she has Having a goal of finishing the race Making training part of her lifestyle  Hair advice and tips Alice Dearing Hairstyles for women in triathlon Black women role models in the triathlon space  Sika Henry  The lack of swimming lessons for children  How Women in Tri UK came about Heading to Kona, Ironman World Championships  Using lockdown for fitness and training more  Women in Tri, First sponsored Athlete - Naomi Rumble  Coaching programs and having realistic training plans for women  Speaking with British Triathlon  Advocacy work and partnering with SheRaces  Barriers for women in triathlon and writing a detailed 63 page report   Making sure the sport also changes  The plans for Women in Tri over the next few years  Partnering with Cycle Sisters  The diversity of Women in Tri  Wanting to remove financial barriers Working with brands Working on her personal goals and wanting to go back to Kona Recovering from a broken foot How to connect with Bianca Women in Tri US - being closed Final words of advice for women who do want to take on a triathlon  “Women in Tri, Made me do it!”   Social Media Website  www.womenintriuk.org  Instagram  @biancatriathlon @womenintriuk