#HerPurposeIsHere – Philippa Glover

It’s funny how Philippa Glover actually hated her first triathlon. It was a sprint triathlon she did in Singapore three years ago and the tough swim and hot run put her off so much that she vowed never to do it again.

Never say never!

Meeting other like-minded women in the sport however, has changed her mindset towards the sport and now she is participating in Ironman 70.3 races. Surviving breast cancer has also changed her perspective towards life and she now enjoys pushing her body.

Growing up, the 41-year-old nutrition coach was one of those kids who would rather read a book than play sports. She didn’t like sports and was often picked last for teams in school. From the age of 25, she started running and also did occasional gym classes.

Then a lump was discovered in her breast, when she was 33, during the time they were living in Dubai and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After having a mastectomy and chemotherapy for 18 months, Philippa finally beat cancer.

She relocated to Singapore for her husband’s job after completing treatment and he was the one who started doing Ironman 70.3 races first. Also a cancer survivor and a Type 1 diabetic, Nick started cycling to work and it turned into road cycling with friends and eventually into triathlons.

That led to Philippa getting influenced (positively) and she completed her first Ironman 70.3 in Dubai 2018. “My husband was doing 70.3 races and I thought he was crazy. But I thought I’d have a go at one of these triathlon things so I tried the sprint and hated every second of it.

“Fast forward a year later and I found myself signing up for a 70.3. I ran my first half marathon with a friend and I thought if I could do this then maybe I could do a 70.3.

Thus my first half-Ironman was in Dubai in 2018 and then I was hooked! I was halfway on the bike leg and I started tearing up with joy; I couldn’t believe I was actually doing a half-Ironman and loving it!”

Philippa got to know about PURPOSE through her husband who swears by the PURPOSE trisuits and cycling kits. “The trisuit is a great fit and comfortable from the very first time I wore it. The products are of really good quality, super comfy and have really nice designs.

“Additionally, the people who work for PURPOSE are wonderful to deal with – extremely helpful and willing to go the extra mile to help you with what you need!”