Eddie Brocklesby
Eddie Brocklesby | |
|---|---|
| Other name | Iron Gran  |
| Occupation | Director |
| Awards | |
Edwina Brocklesby BEM (1943–) is the founder and director of Silverfit, a charity dedicated to the promotion of the health benefits of physical activity for older people.[1][2] and triathlete.
Eddie started running at age 50[3][4] following the loss of her husband to cancer,[5] and at the age of 74 became the oldest British woman[6] to complete an Ironman triathlon.
Born in 1943 Edwina was a social worker for 50 years, educated at the University of Nottingham with a bachelor's degree in Economics and Maths[7] and then the University of Leicester with a PhD thesis titled "Just letterbox? : a study of indirect contact in adoption" in 2004.[8]
Now based in Surrey, Edwina is a mother of three and grandmother of four. She has spent the last twenty years taking part in marathons, triathlons and Ironman races across the globe, has represented GB in many European and World triathlon and duathlon championships, cycled in a 4-person relay of over 3000 miles across America (Race Across AMerica) and completed five further Ironman triathlons
Brocklesby founded Silverfit in 2013, a charity devoted to increasing physical activity and social inclusion for older people – having fun. It has gone from strength to strength and is now a success in 17 venues across 9 London boroughs.
In April 2018 Brocklesby became a published author with the release of her autobiography, Irongran;[2] leading to a wide range of TV, Radio, national and local newspaper and magazine appearances.
She was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2019 New Year Honours "for services to the health and wellbeing of older people".[9][10]
In 2019 she was given a "Special Excellence Award" by the University of Nottingham.[7]
She was painted by Caroline Pool for a 2026 episode of the BBC Television series Extraordinary Portraits.[11] The programme revealed that, at 82, she was in preparation for a half-Ironman event.
References
- ↑ "Eddie Brocklesby - Silverfit". www.silverfit.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- 1 2 Hayes, Martha (22 September 2018). "Edwina Brocklesby: 'My sons join me on triathlons – we jump in the river together'". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "Running, riding, swimming – Classic exercise for Eddie Brocklesby". 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021.
- ↑ Brocklesby, Edwina (2018). Irongran:How keeping fit taught me that growing older needn’t mean slowing down. Sphere. ISBN 978-0751571110.
- ↑ "Edwina Brocklesby — Irongran". Archived from the original on 14 November 2018.
- ↑ "British Ironman 'record' extended by Eddie Brocklesby in Cozumel". Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- 1 2 "Congratulations to all our 2016 alumni laureate award recipients – among our winners are:". Connect (2). University of Nottingham: 24. Autumn 2016.
- ↑ Brocklesby, Edwina (2004). Just letterbox? : a study of indirect contact in adoption (Doctorate thesis). University of Leicester. hdl:2381/31352.
- ↑ Levison, John (31 December 2018). "Triathlete success in New Year's Honours list". TRI247. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "No. 62507". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2018. p. N27.
- ↑ "Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey". BBC. Retrieved 13 April 2026.