Meet the Athletes: Arch2Arc Questions

Trisha: I have run my own Therapy business for over 25 years. I am a skin esthetician and one of my favourite parts of my job is helping clients with Acne. I also have a custom built pod for my thinAir business. 

Rachel: I run my own consultancy helping transport and infrastructure sector with business development and sustainability  

Trisha: British Ironwoman Champion 2002 (2.4-mile swim, 112 miles bike, marathon) in 10hrs 56mins at age 43; I was asked to represented GB 2002 & 2003; Scottish 100m time trial champion 2001.  

Rachel: British Youth Triathlon Champion 2001; silver medalist British Youth Relay at European Triathlon Relays, Poland 2001; 3 Blues for cycling and a half Blue for triathlon at Oxford. 

I don’t believe there has ever been a Mother and a Daughter both being reigning  British Champions at the same time in the space of the same year. 

Together as Team MAD we have completed 2 person non wetsuit relay swim of North Channel and English Channel in 2017, Round Jersey swim (2022) and Jersey to France swim (2024). 

Trisha: After completing a series of open-water swims, I wanted to find a challenge that combined all three disciplines and pushed us both beyond anything we’d done before. The Arch2Arc is the ultimate expression of that — and doing it with Rachel makes it all the more meaningful.  

Rachel: When Mum first suggested it, I knew I couldn’t say no. When I was 16 I said I would beat Mum’s Ironman time and as time has gone by I have realised what a challenge that is. The Enduroman challenge and the chance to do this with Mum was a much more appealing process than Ironman solo! 

We’ve been building towards this for two years and this is our chance to do something truly historic. We shall hopefully be the first ever mother-daughter relay team, first two-person female relay, and first non-wetsuit team.

Trisha: I think it will be waking up after the sleep in Dover before the Swim. I hope I will be able to move!! 

Rachel: I find a good power nap is essential to recover between our planned 2 hours slots. However, I have to set 2 alarms on my watch to make sure that I can get up and start again!

The level of training is significantly more than any previous challenges. I think it can best be described as “If you don’t see me in the swimming pool, I’ll be out walking and if you don’t see me walking I’ll be on the bike”. We have a coach Paul Robinson (Ultra Endurance Tri) which has significantly helped our preparation.  

Moreover the time needed to prepare is so much more than previous challenges and the recovery time along with support e.g. osteopath is a lot more intense. 

It’s been a two-year journey and I genuinely think we’ll need a moment to process it. But above all, it will mean we’ve done something that has never been done before — as a mother and daughter, as a Scottish team, as an all-female non wetsuit relay — and that we’ve raised serious money for Maggie’s along the way. 

We’ve always believed that the best way to live is to keep setting goals that scare you a little. It gives us a sense of purpose We have also both have lost people close to us to cancer — doing this for Maggie’s gives the challenge a purpose that goes well beyond the finish life. Raising money is almost as hard as the challenge, it takes up a lot of time, but there is great satisfaction knowing you have helped others.

Trisha: Break it down into segments so 30 minutes at a time, knowing how great you feel when you have done it 

Rachel: The thought of the food that I can have post training. I plan my walks with what I can eat afterwards!

Trisha and Rachel: No 

Trisha: Proving that age is no barrier. I became British Ironwoman Champion at 43 and completed an Ice Mile at 63, the oldest female in the world to become an Iron Ice Woman (Ironman and Ice Mile) — every year I set a new goal that surprises people, and myself actually. 

Rachel: It’s lovely to be able to do this with mum and the thought of a number of first makes it impossible to make excuses. And frankly, it’s a more interesting way to get to Paris than taking the Eurostar! 

Trisha and Rachel: Most weeks are built around a mix of swimming, cycling, walking/running, strength work and Pilates, guided by our coach, Paul Robinson. The aim isn’t just big volume, but also making sure the sessions have some structure so we keep improving while staying healthy. 

Paul tailors each plan to us individually. We’re both training for the same challenge, but our weeks can look quite different. Trish currently has more time available to train than Rachel, so the overall volume might be higher, while Rachel’s sessions are often designed to be more time-efficient while still hitting the key goals. 

Swimming is a big focus because of the Channel crossing, with a mixture of threshold sessions and longer aerobic endurance swims to build stamina. Cycling is mostly steady aerobic riding with the occasional tempo session, while walking/running help build durability and time on our feet. 

Strength training and Pilates are also key parts of our routine, helping with injury prevention, posture and core stability so we can keep training consistently.

Trisha: Run/walk of the 3 disciplines this is only one that you can listen to a good podcast and enjoy lovely scenery at the same time. A good podcast e.g. Gaby Logan The Midlife, Graham and Maria and Dr Chatterjee.  

Rachel: Run/walk is the easiest thing to do and allows you to explore new routes. Also I’ve been listening to French podcasts to try and improve my French comprehension.   

Trisha: Swim. I find it the hardest, but I love the freedom of swimming in the Lochs of Scotland. Loch Ard and Loch Chon are two of my favourites. 

Rachel: Swim I love it once I do it especially the open water but it’s always another barrier to get to the pool and the lake by my apartment is not open 24/7 so swimming requires more planning than run/walk or cycling.  

Trisha: I have a Brass Monkey Ice Plunge which I find fantastic for recovery, especially after long walks and cycles. I love the thinAir machine (adaptive oxygen therapy) — it really helps with recovery between hard sessions, helps with fitness and reduces inflammation. 

Rachel: I too have bought an ice bath which massively helps and a thinAir machine. There is very much a fear of FOMO with Mum! I do the two things that really help me to recover from the training!

Trisha: Banana and cheese sandwich and a milky illy coffee. Wine Gums and millionaire shortbread made by an amazing baker, Louisa. 

Rachel: Any egg, cheese and bread combination and illy coffee 

Trisha: Resolute 

Rachel: Determined

Trisha: Absolutely none! Although I’m a demon at snap, perils of growing up in a family of 6 

Rachel:  I can’t describe it as a talent but I’m learning French and working towards C1 French exam so handy for the French section of the challenge.