Australian triathlete Ashleigh Gentle has overcome the devastation of miscarriage to finish a brave sixth place at the season-ending Qatar T100 event.
The result secured Gentle fourth spot in the overall T100 standings, but pales into insignificance compared to what she had to deal with in the lead-up to the event.
"I'll be lining up at the T100 Grand Final here in Qatar after experiencing a miscarriage last week at around seven weeks pregnant," Gentle wrote on Instagram this week.
"It's not something I'd ever wish on anyone."
To make matters worse, partner Josh Amberger was away competing in Chile in what was to be his final professional triathlon at the Iron-distance Patagonman event.
"I've been overwhelmed with emotions while also trying to celebrate Josh's final triathlon in Chile. Honestly, I felt a little crazy still getting on my original flight to Doha," Gentle wrote.
"I have no idea whether I can be competitive on Friday (I wanted to be honest here) and I hope no one feels let down by this.
"I could so easily share a different story and pretend everything has been perfect, but it's exhausting, and the reality is that life doesn't always unfold the way we hope."
Although the result was immaterial given what was happening away from the race, Gentle still performed superbly, running the fastest 18km split of anyone in the race (1:05:20) to run into sixth.
After the race, Gentle posted that she would not have been happy with the performance at the start of the year, but was understandably "walking away proud" of her efforts.
"Inspired by so many women around me. We are stronger than we know," the 34-year-old wrote.
"I really didn't know how I would perform today and it's a result that I wouldn't be satisfied with at the start of the year, but today I'm walking away proud."
Meanwhile, Amberger had raced from Chile, where he finished second, to watch Gentle compete in Qatar and was full of admiration for his wife.
"[Patagonman was] one of my most memorable days of my life, but also with the feeling of loss & helplessness playing out at home," he wrote.
"Very courageous of [Ash] to share the news of her miscarriage, which happened just days before [the race].
"I left her at home to see through my dreams in Chile, but she went on to experience a heartbreaking loss.
"It's a duality that still feels surreal, not having been there to support her or being able to properly process it abroad.
"Asha I'm in awe of your courage and also your spirit to finish off the season."
Gentle was offered plenty of support on social media from athletes across the sporting spectrum.
British Olympic bronze medallist Beth Potter wrote: "So sorry to hear this Ash, cheering for you on Friday and sending love and strength," while T100 rival Lucy Charles Barclay, Australian skier Britt Cox and former cyclist Grace Brown sent "big hugs" to her.
Fellow triathlete Mila´n Agnew simply wrote that she was "in awe" of her bravery, while Tokyo Olympic teammate Emma Jeffcoat thanked her for sharing the news.
Gentle, a two-time Olympian and record-breaking 11-time Noosa Tri champion, said there was no shame in experiencing a miscarriage, but it was still a tremendously tough thing to experience.
"There should be absolutely no shame in experiencing a miscarriage, so many women go through it, yet it can feel incredibly isolating," she said.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunities I have in this sport, and there is still so much I want to achieve. I also hope that one day I'll have the privilege of becoming a mum."
