‘To save my year, I wanted this done as quickly as possible’: Lucy-Charles-Barclay undergoes surgery to remove 12cm-long tendon 

Lucy Charles-Barclay has undergone surgery to remove a tendon her medical team believe was irritating her Achilles tendon.

The reigning Ironman 70.3 world champion expects to make a full recovery after having 12cm of her plantaris tendon taken out in an operation at the Fortis Clinic in London.

Speaking in a YouTube video, she said: “In order to save my year, I wanted to get this done as soon as possible … The main reason for doing it is to add longevity to my career, and allow me to keep performing at the level that we’re used to seeing me perform at.”

Non-essential tendon

Located in the back of the calf, the plantaris is considered a largely obsolete tendon. But Charles-Barclay said hers had thickened to the extent it was rubbing against her Achilles tendon. 

While wearing a protective boot on her right foot the 2023 Kona champion said she began to experience lower-leg irritation after winning Ironman 70.3 Worlds last year in Marbella. 

“I thought it was my Achilles tendon,” she said. “Anytime I did any speedwork running it seemed to get really irritated for the next few days then go away. The second I did speedwork it would flare up.”

After consulting with her medical team, Charles-Barclay decided to have a hyaluronic acid injection. This worked well the first time to reduce irritation and improve mobility.

But at the end of last year she needed to have another injection. The conclusion of a scan in the area was that surgery was required.

She added: “I was really cautious at first and never want to jump into surgery. I wanted to do everything I could to manage it myself by hitting the gym and doing eccentric loading. I quite quickly realised this wasn’t going to work.”

Unavoidable surgery

Charles-Barclay said her triathlon training had caused the plantaris tendon to strengthen and thicken and rub against her Achilles.

“There wasn’t enough room in there for the two tendons to actually work simultaneously. Not everyone has a plantaris tendon so I am okay to remove it,” she added.

Although not currently being in full training, Charles-Barclay said other elite athletes have successfully had this surgery. “I’m very positive about what my return to training and racing will look like,” she added. 

Following a “long, very race-intensive” 2025, in which she won her first T100 but dropped out of the Kona world champs, Charles-Barclay said she always intended to have a long off-season, so the operation hasn’t derailed that plan.

Still on track for 2026

Because her main goals are later this year like the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Kona, she said: “I don’t foresee this really having any negative impact on those big races. If anything, it’s going to be positive. Once I do make the return to run, I don’t foresee really having any setbacks.”

Having previously bounced back from injury and illness, she said: “I’m used to setbacks and this feels like quite a big one. I honestly feel like it’s gonna allow me to make a very big jump forward when I come back from this.”

Charles-Barclay said she won’t rush her recovery despite having some more “time-pressing” goals earlier in the year, which she didn’t name. 

She trusts her own experience and that of her medical team and coach/husband Reece to manage her recovery. For the time being, she said is working her upper body in the gym.

“This definitely isn’t my first Rodeo doing this. I feel like we’re very well equipped to come back from setbacks. Reece is extremely creative in terms of training,” she added.