In the spring issue of Barrow Voice, we published an article about two triathletes, Cameron Main and Sophia Green, who were living in the village whilst training to take part in International Iron Man competitions. This article aroused considerable interest, especially the number of calories each consumed and yet still stayed slim. Although the article appeared in spring 2026, the interview took place last autumn so there was much to catch up on. Fortunately, although Cameron was still away racing, Sophia had returned from competing in Iron Man in Australia and was willing to answer my questions.

First, I asked about her daily calorie intake and staying slim. Sophia explained that although what she did would differ from day to day she used up between 6,000 and 8,000 calories by spending perhaps four hours on a bike and having a 90-minute swim or going to the gym for a two-hour workout and then running half a marathon. She told me that a triathlete never allowed herself/himself to become hungry as you never wanted to deplete your calorie store. You could never move on to your next sport, from swimming to cycling or cycling to running, completely drained of calories so you had to keep eating. To do this involved eating before and after each training session in addition to the three normal meals a day. If training on the bike for example, many carbs could be absorbed by drinking energy drinks and sucking on sweets - hence the importance of Haribos and other sweeties!

Going to Australia over our miserable winter months was a good move as they could train outside in the sunshine. To his delight Cameron won Iron Man Western Australia 2025 and has since been signed by an Italian bike brand to become a member of the Bianchi Pro Triathlon Team. Having won this race, he’s qualified for the World Iron Man Championships in Kona Hawaii in October 2026. And Sophia felt she had done well by coming 12th for although she didn’t make the podium, she finished the race and it was only her second race post stomach ligament surgery last year. She told me she’d learnt a lot about competing in Iron Man races, was definitely improving and that, by the way, they’d got engaged! So, congratulations Sophia and Cam.

Sophia has already returned to training and will be coaching again at Loughborough Grammar School very soon. Once Cameron returns from Iron Man races in Texas they are looking forward to staying put in Barrow for a while. Here they can enjoy being back in the village and able to see friends who live locally. Did you know that it’s ‘cool’ to be an Iron Man triathlete these days? Sophia smiled as she said this because it certainly wasn’t when she and Cameron took up the sport but it is now. Social media bursts with young wannabe Iron Men. Confusingly, females are Iron Men too, not Iron Women, but I wonder how many actually stay the course. It’s an amazingly difficult life - even if you can eat all day and not get fat.

Gaynor Barton