Kesgrave man 'amazed' to finish Outlaw Half Holkham after leg break

A triathlete who feared his racing days were over when he shattered his femur eight months ago has completed a half ironman distance event.

Neal Watson, from Kesgrave, Suffolk, was taking part in a duathlon in Wales in November 2021 when he broke his leg.

The 47-year-old now has a titanium rod holding his broken femur back together.

On crossing the finish line of the Outlaw Half in Holkham, Norfolk, in five hours, 24 minutes and 52 seconds, the father-of-two said: "I'm amazed."

"I was going to be happy with finishing," he said.

"It was a great event made event better by being with an awesome group," he added.

"I managed to meet Darcey and Erin for the run up to the finish, a truly memorable moment."

Sunday's event consisted of a 1.2-mile (1600m) open water swim, 56-mile (90km) bike ride and 13.1-mile (21km) run.

Mr Watson said he had entered the Outlaw Half just two weeks before his bike crash in Afan Forest on 27 November.

He said he had shattered his femur from the hip down 15cm (6in) and was in Morriston Hospital in Wales for a week.

Mr Watson said: "The surgeons, doctors and nurses at Moriston Hospital were amazing but the break was so bad that there was a chance I would never be able to compete in the same way again.

"The surgeon described it as a jigsaw puzzle but assured me he and his team would do their very best to give me the best possible chance of recovery."

He said he could not lift his leg or walk unaided for some time and the recovery process was "slow and painful".

Sunday's race was "emotional", he said.

As an extra incentive to cross the finish line, he decided to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

His dad Phil Watson was diagnosed with the disease in 2008. He has raised more than £1,100.

Mr Watson, who works as a maintenance engineer at Sizewell B, said: "No matter what I've gone through with this, it's nothing compared to dealing with prostate cancer and my dad has been living with that for years."

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