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Beloved champion athlete dies from rare brain tumour

<p>A beloved Australian athlete has tragically died after a high-profile battle with a rare and aggressive brain tumour. </p> <p>Jenny Alcorn, a champion triathlete, passed away on Monday at the age of 66, with her partner Margot Rupe breaking the devastating news. </p> <p>“She pushed every boundary in life and it was incredible,” Rupe said. “She was the love of my life for 20 years, she helped me raise two amazing children."</p> <p>“Yes, triathlon was her life but she always enjoyed all the sports our kids did, she never missed a TSS First 15 game, she never missed a Bond Uni rugby game."</p> <p>“Even on Saturday afternoon, she sat up and watched our son play rugby in Japan, so she was a pretty amazing person."</p> <p>“We’re all heartbroken, our souls are heartbroken, she did everything with love, she loved her family, she loved me, she loved our kids and embraced everything she did.”</p> <p>Alcorn was a sporting legend and Alcorn was recognised just last year at the AusTriathlon Awards, as she was particularly well known in Queensland as a coach, a competitor, and an inspiration to many. </p> <p>In 2016, at the age of 55, Alcorn came out of retirement and won the famous Kona Ironman World Championships in her age group.</p> <p>Last December, Alcorn’s “three-decade contribution” to Australia’s triathlon scene was recognised with the President’s Special Recognition Award, as the Trizone website said, “Her honour highlighted not just her achievements as an athlete and coach, but her inspiring resilience while battling a rare brain tumour."</p> <p>Surfers Paradise Triathlon Club member Dan Teasdale and close friend of Alcorn's paid tribute to his late friend. </p> <p>“She was always a fantastic spectator so you’d hear her yelling out ‘go Danny boy’ on the side of the race,” he said.</p> <p>“She was a very caring, loving person but a tough-as-nails athlete. She never had a bad word to say about anyone she was very inclusive, welcomed everyone and loved the sport triathlon.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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19-year-old athlete fights for life after tragic accident

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 19-year-old Sunshine Coast triathlete is fighting for life in hospital after a severe bicycle crash on the weekend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexa Leary was out on her normal morning ride at Pomona on Saturday when she was seriously injured before being transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where she remains in an induced coma.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The athlete suffered a fractured scapula, ribs, shoulder blade, and wrist, a major knee injury, and a collapsed lung. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her family has been told she also suffered major brain damage, with blood clots discovered on her brain.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Leary, a competitive triathlete and trainer at F45 Noosa, has been described as “beautiful”, “bubbly”, and “strong”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are all feeling the effect of Alexa’s situation and it’s rocked us. We are trying to continue life as normal but under the smiles we are beyond broken,” F45 Noosa said in a post.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Her family are standing by … taking each moment she doesn’t decline as a mini victory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We need to keep this family in our thoughts and prayers, they need us and we need Lex to pull through.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lexi girl, you are stronger than you know, braver than us all and we totally know you will conquer this mountain. Come one Lexi, we are all waiting for you.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLOYyLIBqEf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLOYyLIBqEf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ALEXA LEARY ✨ (@alexaleary.tri)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her sister Maddy shared on Instagram that the blood clots were the biggest concern, with doctors initially saying they would try and treat them on Tuesday, July 20.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, on Tuesday night Maddy said “they didn’t touch the blood clots today. They said maybe tomorrow, instead.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexa’s boyfriend, Will O’Dwyer, has posted images of his girlfriend alongside messages telling her to “stay strong my darling, I love you, you can do this”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Belinda, Alexa’s mum, took to Facebook to share that doctors had to “take the risk” to give her daughter blood thinners, otherwise the clots “could take her life”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Race Pace Coaching have described Alexa as “an awesome and tough athlete” who is “tenacious as they come”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She will need every ounce of her resilience over coming days and into the future with a long period of hospitalisation appearing inevitable,” the group said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her brother Max described his sister as “a ray of sunshine” and said “the Leary household has never been so cold”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You have always been strong and it’s not fair how much s*** you have been through this year; but you have to keep fighting … We want our big sister back,” he said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Alexa Leary / Instagram</span></em></p>

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Meet the Iron Nun, an 86-year-old triathlete star

<p>Meet Sister Madonna Buder, an 86-year-old nun who’s become the unlikely star of a Nike’s latest ad campaign.</p> <p>The octogenarian goes for morning runs, she swims, she cycles, and competes in triathlons and Iron Man challenges. She’s actually a record-holding triathlete, having completed 45 Iron Man competitions and a total of 325 triathlons. </p> <p>And believe it or not, Sister Buder didn’t actually start running until she was 48 years old, when a priest introduced her to the sport. She ran her first triathlon at 52 and is now known as the Iron Nun, after becoming the oldest person to ever complete an Iron Man race.</p> <p>“There were a lot of times when I had to think about failures and not reaching the goal that I may have set for myself,” says Sister Buder.</p> <p>“Then I realised the only failure is not to try, because your effort in itself is a success.”</p> <p>If you want some fitness inspiration today, look no further than Sister Buder’s video above. She jogs, cycles, and competes in an Iron Man challenge, where she shouts “the first 45 didn’t kill me!”</p> <p>What an amazing woman! Who inspires you to get fit and healthy? Share with us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/how-to-build-your-legacy/">How to build your legacy</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/the-simple-yet-powerful-tool-to-plan-your-retirement/">The simple yet powerful tool to plan your retirement</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/retirement-doesnt-have-to-sap-your-self-esteem/">Retirement doesn’t have to sap your self-esteem</a></em></strong></span></p>

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