After crossing the finish line in the PTVI para triathlon on the Pont Alexandre III bridge in Paris, Judith MacCombe was drained of energy and had to squat down. Her twin sister, Chloe, instantly offered her support, draping her arm over Judith’s shoulders. The twins, together, are Paralympians.
As they mustered the strength to rise, the pair shared some light-hearted banter. Chloe broke into a smile, Judith gave her a friendly nudge, and Chloe playfully sprayed some water from her bottle onto her sister. They embraced each other.
In the Paralympic triathlon, their first, the 29-year-old sisters from Derry finished close to each other, with just two places and 45 seconds separating them. Chloe and her guide, Catherine Sands, crossed the finish line at 1:10.32, clinching the sixth place, whereas Judith, guided by Eimear Nicholls, came eighth with a time of 1:11.17.
Without a 10-second penalty for leaving equipment outside the specified area as they transitioned from cycling to running, Chloe and Catherine would have secured the fifth position.
So, what did the sisters say to each other during their post-finish line hug?
“I teased her that had I been feeling well, I would have been victorious,” joked Judith. “A bit of sibling rivalry is always present.”
Being unwell in the days leading up to the race, Judith would have been unable to participate if the event had taken place on its original date, Sunday. But, thanks to a last-minute deferment due to concerns about the water quality in the Seine on Sunday, Judith managed to join the starting lineup in Paris on Monday morning.
“I’ve been ill and vomiting for the past few days,” she confessed.
“If the race had taken place yesterday, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to run it. I was probably the happiest person when they postponed the race.”
The MacCombe sisters joined the competition in the PTVI 3 category, which targets sportspersons with visual impairments who enlist the aid of a guide with normal sight. The event, called the para triathlon, involves a 750m swimming race, a 20km cycling race and a 5km run.
Reflecting on their experience, Chloe shared that regardless of their final standings, it was guaranteed that they would be proud of each other. Despite Judith experiencing some health issues over the past few days, her strong performance and motivation were impressive.
The sisters, Chloe and Catherine, finished their swimming round at 17:30, the cycling round at 30:55 and managed to complete the run at 20:09. The other pair, Judith and Eimear, completed the swimming round at 17:47, the cycling at 30:52 – the second-best overall – and finished their run at 20:42.
The PTVI 3 category was clinched by Susana Rodriguez from Spain and her guide, Sara Perez Sala, in 1:04.19. Close on their heels were Italy’s Francesca Tarantello and Silivia Visaggi who landed silver in 1:06.43. Bronze went to Anja Renner from Germany and her guide Maria Paulig, who secured a time of 1:08.21.
The sare was set in an incredible location against the backdrops of the Grand Palais and Eiffel Tower, with temperatures soaring up to 24 degrees on that day. It was indeed a momentous day for the MacCombe family to remember.
Chloe, with a hint of humour, remarked that their family may have been concerned about the aftermath, in case the fierce sibling competition led to unfavourable situations. Nonetheless, she was convinced of their joy with their performance. The sibling rivalry, in her words, served as a fantastic driving force.
There was a third participant from Ireland, Cassie Cava in the PTS4 category. It was a challenging day for Cava, who ranked 12th overall with a time of 1:37:29. A fall before the commencement of the race affected her immensely, causing her to pause during the run to inspect her right leg prosthetic. Recalling the incident, an emotional Cava expressed her torment from the pain during the race.
Whilst en route to the beginning, an unfortunate slip occurred that may have resulted in my leg being twisted. Adrenaline was surging through me at the time. The question lurking in my mind as I approached my bike was, ‘How am I going to manage this?’ With each circuit, I battled with the thought of abandoning.
Upon reaching the run’s first aid station, the agony in my leg was unbearable. I needed to rest my leg; the pain was simply intolerable. I found myself wondering, while sitting, how I could manage if I couldn’t stand on my leg. Another participant from my category passed by, and a thought came to me – we didn’t come here to accept defeat. If she could continue, then so could I.
The regret I’d experience from failing to finish, from opting to sit by the roadside, would be overwhelming. I am truly content that I chose to fight through the strain and make it to the finish line.
The crown of boasting within the MacCombe household currently rests with Chloe, despite the absence of medals from their joint exploit in Paris on Monday.
Chloe added, “We always keep an eye on the prize, but our core focus was to give it our all.” We took pride in knowing we gave it everything we had, and we did just that.
Their sights are already set on LA in the coming four years.
Upon discovering that her bicycle leg was the second fastest, Judith couldn’t help but express joy. “If only I hadn’t been injured, imagine my potential!” she smirked. Regardless of the result, our pride for one another never fades. Chloe understood my illness in the days leading up and was proud that I could participate and compete alongside her.
Two sisters. Paralympians. Linked forever.