Mums to take part in Fife triathlon for children’s charity

Team Esmée, who have been training for St Andrews Triathlon by swimming, running, cycling and spinning since last October, are led by her mother, Juliette Paris-Newton.

In the wake of COVID-19 and the postponement of the event until September, the team have mapped out a contingency route around Midlothian, including a swim in open water, to squeeze in their own triathlon in April to help keep them match fit for St Andrews.

St Andrews Triathlon has meanwhile pledged to donate 10 per cent of the cancellation fees for those who can no longer participate on the new date to CHAS,

Beyond the 21 mums from Rosewell, Midlothian, where the family are from, family friends from Juliette’s original home country of France and neighbouring Belgium, who are unable to join the team in person due to current travel restrictions, will match join them in solidarity with parallel efforts in Marseille, Paris, Reims, Lyon, and Brussels.

Through JustGiving, the group have set themselves a collective goal of £3000 and are well on the way to smashing their target.

Juliette said: “Esmée’s condition is so rare that there are only a few cases in the world and as yet there is no name for it. Our daughter does not see the world like most other children do. She loves to be under trees and lights and to see their shapes and shadows. She has super magic ears (cochlear implants) to help her hear, her heart is not totally in tune, breathing is not always easy, and at the moment she needs special support to sit up.

“We have been lucky to receive a lot of support, especially from our close family, friends, and the amazing community of families in Rosewell, Midlothian.

“Rachel House, part of CHAS, has been a wonderful support, too, since the earliest months of Esmée’s life.

“Esmée brought us all together. Lots of parents around us in our village of Rosewell encouraged us to get out and about, and soon I had a crazy idea: training for a triathlon. To help with training we have a running buggy and a kiddy-trailer for the bike. A full team of mums have now signed up for the adventure. We want to raise money for Rachel House to give back some of the generosity we have received so far. We have been overwhelmed with the support from everybody involved.”