‘It’s really important I know my symptoms’
Professional triathlete Emma Pallant-Browne made headlines last year when a racing photo of her with a small blood stain on her tri suit – originally shared by the Professional Triathletes Organisation and later shared by Pallant-Browne alongside her own comments – sparked a conversation. Here, she reflects on the reality of racing as a woman and says she has learnt to race hard despite menstrual symptoms.
‘The Professional Triathletes Organisation put the photo up and then someone’s comment on it made me think that we need to change the conversation. I hoped that maybe a couple of people would look at the comment and read it and, if they thought the same, think, “Oh yeah, perhaps we should change how we think about that”. I didn’t expect it to be such a big topic, but when it got attention, I thought I should back up what I said and, if I’m not ashamed, post it to explain why I’m not ashamed, and why it’s actually a great thing for me to have my period.
‘I hope it has helped normalise
