Spinal injury survivor completes triathlon dressed as Wonderwoman

A woman who suffered a spinal injury when she fell in the shower four years ago said she was “buzzing” after completing a triathlon dressed as Wonder Woman.

Trish Brookes, from Crewe, Cheshire, took part in the Superhero Tri event in Windsor on Friday in the latest of a series of challenges in support of the Spinal Injuries Association.

Her previous challenges, all completed since her injury in July 2021, have included abseiling down Anfield stadium in Liverpool and swimming with sharks.

Mrs Brookes, who uses crutches and sometimes a wheelchair to get about, told BBC Radio Stoke: “I’m still buzzing but my body is definitely telling me I’m not. It was an absolutely fantastic day.”

She said she found the challenge “very, very hard” but pushed herself because she knew she was raising money for a cause close to her heart.

The event involved a 150m swim in a lake, followed by a three-mile tandem bike ride with her husband, and ended with a “sprint” element she completed using her crutches.

“There was such a wonderful community of people that came together for this event,” Mrs Brookes said.

“Their energy gets you to where you need to be on the day.”

Crossing the finish line was an emotional moment for the mother-of-three.

“I’m not doing it to get cheers or recognition – I’m doing it to prove to myself that I can still enjoy life,” she said.

Mrs Brookes lost feeling from the waist down a few days after her fall and had surgery to prevent paralysis.

Doctors warned she might lose the ability to walk, but since then she has raised thousands of pounds for the Spinal Injuries Association through fundraising challenges.

Her next test, in the Peak District in four weeks’ time, is a 90ft abseil from an old railway bridge followed by a mile-long canoe race.