Felixstowe man with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) completes Ironman challenge

A man with a rare muscle-wasting condition has been named an Ironman after taking on a gruelling triathlon challenge.

Chris Stennet, of Felixstowe, completed the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run in Austria in 16 hours and 53 minutes on Sunday.

Tough for anyone, the challenge was made even harder as Chris lives with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), an incurable muscle-wasting condition that weakens the muscles in the face, shoulder blades and upper arms.

The 30-year-old Ironman said: “It feels epic to have finished at last.

“This was my second attempt at the full distance Ironman after failing in 2021. I was meant to race in 2022 but broke my arm last April so I had to defer.

“I’ve trained hard and learnt a lot since 2021, and to finally hear ‘Christopher, you are an Ironman’ feels so good – I’m going to bask in the glory for a while!

“Before I started training back in 2021, I couldn’t swim, hadn’t ridden a bike for years, and had a weak running track record.

“Every improvement is an achievement and you never know how far you’ll go until you try.”

He is going to have a couple of weeks off to recover and get his bike repaired, but he’s eyeing up his next challenge already – a half-distance triathlon in Minsk, Belarus, at the end of July.

Chris is raising funds and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy UK, the national charity that supports those with muscle wasting conditions. He completed the London Marathon in April and attempted the Marbella 70.3 half Ironman in May, which he did not finish.

Chris admits the Ironman challenge was no walk in the park.

“The bike ride brought on some hip, back and quad trouble,” he said.

“By the time it came to the run, my lower back and hip were not in good form, so I opted for a walk/run strategy to prevent myself getting into a hole I couldn’t come out of.

“I was the last athlete home for the marathon but the last finisher is a big deal at every Ironman – 17 hours is the cut off and everyone wants you to make it after a day like that!

“I had a whole crowd waiting on me – I will never forget it.”

Having been a keen rugby player at Felixstowe Rugby Club, Chris received the surprise diagnosis of Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) at the age of 26 in 2019.

After repeated rugby injuries and over ten years of shoulder weakness and dislocation, he was referred to a neurologist. The results of a genetic test confirmed he was living with FSHD, a condition that affects approximately 2,500 people in the UK.

The risk of injury was too high for Chris to continue playing rugby or practising mixed martial arts – two hobbies he enjoyed most. Though he says this ‘knocked me for six’, he quickly decided he would not let the diagnosis hold him back from sport.

Kiera Santry, senior challenge events officer at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “Chris is such an inspiration and we’re so proud of him.

“We’re grateful for his ongoing support. We couldn’t do what we do without people like Chris, who really go the extra mile.”

You can support Chris by donating through his JustGiving page, and find out how to support the charity here.