Amazing girl, 11, defies the odds to become triathlon star

Isla Ferguson is an 11-year-old from Burnham-on-Sea who has cystic fibrosis. The way she races in triathlon though, you wouldn't know.

Her mum Michelle Ferguson is like any other mum watching her daughter compete in triathlon, but her daughter Isla isn’t like many other 11-year-olds competing in swim, bike, run.

Isla was born with cystic fibrosis, a condition that impacts her lung function. Her mum thought their life was destined to be hospital visits, not weekends racing in triathlon.

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Michelle said: “We’re astonishingly proud. I have to say to people it is different for us because when Isla was born it was a very different picture. I didn’t think she’d ever be able to race let alone go on a podium.

“When we tell people in the triathlon community and other parents that she has cystic fibrosis, they are always really shocked as she does so well.

“Isla was really poorly as a baby and was in hospital all the time. I just thought that was going to be our lives – we're going to be in and out of hospital and she wouldn’t be doing any sport.”

Yet Isla has proved everyone wrong and is loving competing in triathlon. Most recently she raced at the inter-regional championships at the British Triathlon grand final as part of the south west team.

Her triathlon journey started after having swimming lessons. Isla said: “I always swam at Burnham and did swimming lessons and then I saw they had a tri club. “We decided to try it out and go for a couple of taster sessions and I instantly just fell in love with it.”

Now it is has become a big part of her life, helping her make new friends with shared interests.

Isla said: “When I went to the tri club for the first time, I noticed all these girls. And I became friends with them.

“My best friend joined triathlon when I was already there, and we instantly just clicked And now we’re best friends we do everything together.

“It’s nice to be part of something where people understand why you go for a run in the rain, it’s nice to have someone who understands the motivation and drive to run rather than sitting on the sofa watching TV. My friends invite me over and I say, ‘nah, sorry, I'm going for a run’ and they'll be like ‘what? What planet is she on?’”

It’s also had a massive impact on her condition. Mum Michelle said: “The biggest impact is to not have to do physio.

“Isla used to have to use two nebulisers a day and two lots of physio a day, but because she’s so fit and healthy she doesn’t have to do it. The hospital has told us she has a higher-than-average lung-function.”

Isla summed up her life since triathlon: “I basically have everything a normal child has.”