16
Jun 2024
The Harrogate lawyer competing internationally in duathlon
By day, Harrogate lawyer Victoria Boid advises clients on acquisitions and mergers - but by night she is training to compete in an international tournament for her country.
The 43-year-old is set to represent Team GB at her age level in the duathlon European Championships.
It will be her first major competition and one which she is looking forward to.
But, for Victoria, the days spent training alongside her day job will mean more than the accolade of competing internationally - it will also prove that people can reach their potential while juggling full time work.
Sporting family
Victoria grew up in South Wales and comes from a sporting family.
Her dad played football professionally for both Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City.
Taking up sport came naturally to her, but she was always warned by her father that it should remain a hobby and that she should have a career in order to afford a house.
He told us that we could do our sport, but that we had to have something to fall back on.
As a result, she went to Cardiff University to study law and qualified in 2003. The same year, she also qualified as a personal trainer.
Over the next 17 years, she honed her trade as a lawyer and moved to Harrogate with her husband and three children.
It was here where she began to progress in cycling by taking on competitions such as the Struggle Dales.
After a chance encounter with Team GB representative following an accident at the competition, she was encouraged to try and qualify for the European Championships.
Fast forward to today and she is preparing to fly out to Coimbra in Portugal to compete in the 2024 European Triathlon Duathlon Championships.
The championships, which will be Victoria’s first ever international competition, lasts for nine days and will include 30 other athletes in her age category.
She describes the event as “exciting and daunting”, but also one which she recognises is a first step in her development on the international stage.
I just want to try and complete it and to learn from it.
There are girls in my group who have done it for 15 years and are probably not nervous.
It’s something that I’m new at, I’m a cyclist at heart. From a running perspective, I will try to stay with the group.
Victoria Boid, who will be competing at the duathlon European Championships.
The trip to Portugal comes after a rigorous seven month training schedule.
Victoria balances her duathlon practice alongside work and trains 15 hours a week, mostly early mornings and late evenings, which includes four hours on a Saturday.
She describes the schedule is demanding and one that has led her to spend less quality time with family, such as attending her son’s football matches.
But, Victoria says she has been supported by her husband throughout the process.
She is also grateful to Ison Harrison, which she joined in January 2023, for supporting her through her training.
If the firm was not behind me, it would be a disaster. I feel completely supported.
The prospect of competing in an international tournament has an added dimension for Victoria.
As well as demonstrating that a working mum can reach a major sporting event, it has also taught her to be kinder to herself.
This piece of my life has enabled me to feel grateful, but also to give myself a break.
If you have any local sporting figures who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.
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