Former British Army trailblazer Rosie Wild notched her best result so far since turning pro last weekend at IRONMAN Wales and reflecting on it now she has revealed the whirlwind of emotions she went through.
She was nearly 17 minutes back after the swim in Tenby but biked her way up to second with a course record time and then just got the better of friend Katie Phipkin in a see-saw battle for the silver medal behind runaway winner Franziska Hofmann of Germany – and with it a World Championship berth for 2026.
Wild became the first woman to pass a gruelling Parachute Regiment entry test in 2020, earning the coveted maroon beret and outperforming several male rivals.
And this was her first podium place in what is her second year as a pro, though as she told us earlier this year: “I feel like 2025 is my first year because when I started in 2024 I think I finished work in March so I hadn’t really had a build-up over the winter or anything. This is my first season where I’ve had a full year of training under my belt so no excuses.”
Different mindset
But the path to second in Wales was anything but a smooth one and writing on Instagram she explained the ups and downs, saying: “I headed toward Ironman Wales with a very different attitude to normal races; I wanted to aim high for myself, no blasé behaviour, no acting like it doesn’t matter. I knew the course suited me, the harsh conditions would be perfect (and the worse they could be the better), and the ‘home’ crowds would pull me through.
“It was the first time I openly said I was aiming for a competitive result.
“Then I woke up Monday of race week and couldn’t move or bend my knee… then my back twinged… and I spent the next few days doing absolutely nothing but lying on the floor in various positions to try and fix myself. I was absolutely devastated as I felt like even starting/finishing might be out of my hands. My first and only jog of the week on the Friday coach @samproctortri said “you’d better bloody podium after all this” and we laughed at the audacity.”
Incredible support team
But onto he day itself and the arrival of India Lee on the back of seventh place at Spain T100 the day before was one of a number of motivational boosts.
Wild added: “The morning of the race my confidence was at zero, my enthusiasm even worse, and my fire to get on the start line non-existent. Then out of the dark and dreary morning popped a wild @indielee_tri who had raced T100 Spain 12 hours before and flown back and driven to Tenby to support the race, then the @armyreddevils jumped in, then @joanne.murphy hyped the crowds 🤩…
“Still didn’t want to race, but thought of all the family and friends watching in Tenby, following at home, or had supported me over the last 18 months. 🤍 Thinking of the gorgeous people who cruelly didn’t get to see the end of 2025, who would do anything to get to have a bad day, and I got a grip of myself. 🤍
“And it was just phenomenal.”
It was indeed – and with second place comes a coveted spot at the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.
