Kelly Pereira: Triathlons helped her to overcome anxiety and focus in life

Feeling lost in life, Kelly Pereira struggled to find a focus.⁠ “Being on the bigger side didn’t help and I didn’t have much self-worth,” the 38-year-old jobs skills analyst said.
Nine years ago, Kelly was diagnosed with diabetes and four years ago, with gastroparesis. Already feeling that the world was against her, her diagnosis alleviated an anxiety that had already been bubbling beneath the surface.

At that very moment, Kelly realised the only way to overcome them was to change her lifestyle.

During this time a friend who evolved into a mentor introduced her to triathlons, something she wanted to try in her 20s but did not have the confidence to because of her size.

After getting into triathlons, it has become more than just weight loss. “The process of training for a triathlon allows me to manage my anxiety in a way I did not think possible.

It’s changed how my mind looks at things and has given me the focus I lacked and the passion I didn’t know existed,” she added.
With the goal of completing an Ironman 70.3 next year, Kelly tries to get a workout in daily of either swim, bike, run or strength training. ⁠

“It took a while for me to understand how my body works because I get tired quite easily and when my gastro flares up, I’m in a lot of pain. I’ve learnt that rest days are important and sometimes you just need to push through the pain.”

PURPOSE FOR ALL⁠

It took Kelly a while to find a trisuit for herself. “Being plus-sized, it wasn’t easy to find a trisuit and I’ve been trying to find a suitable trisuit for about two years,” she shared.

“Then I chanced upon PURPOSE on Instagram, thinking I might need to customise a trisuit. But Huz emailed me and was very helpful. He invited me down to the office to help me out as he was pretty sure some of the trisuits he had in the office could fit me.”⁠

True enough, Kelly was elated to have found a trisuit that fits her. She commented, “Off the bat, it was nice that PURPOSE stocked larger sizes that I could fit in. The trisuits are lightweight, quick drying and I like the material used as it’s very appropriate for our hot climate.”⁠