Swimming two kilometers, cycling 80 kilometers and running 18 kilometers – the 100-kilometer triathlon in Ibiza is not without its challenges. British endurance athlete Emma Pallant-Browne not only finished fourth in the race, but also has her period during it.
This becomes clear in a picture that the 34-year-old posts on Instagram. Pallant-Browne can be seen walking across the Balearic Islands – in a bright pink and blue swimsuit with a bloodstain between his legs. She is celebrated online for her courage in posting this photo.
“I’m humbled by the amount of messages I’ve received from both men and women about the unglamorous reality of running during menstruation (I’ll try menstrual cups again),” Pallant-Browne captioned the photo. “This is real women’s sport and the more barriers we can break down the better.”
She continues, “A lot of the photos are blank. At the aid stations, dousing yourself with water helps and if not, you end up with a photo like this, but the idea of editing it means something that’s not true.”
Almost 85,000 users have already liked the athlete’s post. Many comment on the post and celebrate it. “You ran a race in a day where I would have curled up in bed and eaten chocolate! Just unbelievable what a strong woman you are. And the perfect response to the commenters, who seem to have no understanding of female physiology have,” writes one user. Another commented, “Thanks for sharing and normalizing what most of us deal with every 24-28 days!”
The triathlete also explains in the post why, despite her menstrual bleeding, she opted for a light-colored swimsuit, on which stains are more visible than on a dark one. “I rode in a bathing suit because I overheat and pass out during hot races. My body temperature is also higher during my period. I have a body suit for the cooler races in dark colors, but we experimented with the light colors to get a cooling achieve effect.”
Sources: Emma Pallant-Browne’s Instagram profile
