“I've Always Been Called Masculine" | Lucy Davis on Strength, Discomfort & a Secret Comeback

Lucy Davis has been called masculine her whole life. Now she's showing other women that strength and femininity were never a contradiction.

This week on The Runna Podcast, Anya sits down with the epic Lucy Davis - the true embodiment of the hybrid athlete. From leaving competitive swimming at 18, breaking the HYROX Women's Open World Record on her first ever solo race, and going on to run multiple sub-3-hour marathons and ultras, Lucy is an athletic machine!

Lucy also opens up about developing an eating disorder in her early twenties, and how shifting her focus to what her body could do - rather than how it looked - changed everything.

We get into refusing to be boxed in, her sister Megan's role in building activewear brand Aesene, and her comeback from knee surgery. And we get an exclusive on Lucy's first marathon back!

Listen for more on:
🏊‍♀️ From Swimmer to World Record Breaker: becoming a HYROX World Record holder
💪 Refusing to Be Boxed In: one sport, one idea of femininity, one idea of success - why Lucy she's rejected all three
🧠 What Her Body Can Do vs. How It Looks: Lucy’s reflection on body image, eating disorder recovery and sport
🩹 The Secret Comeback: Lucy’s first ever half Ironman, six months after knee surgery, telling no one
🎙️ An exclusive on her first marathon back since surgery!

Please note this episode contains references to disordered eating. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a healthcare professional for support.

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⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
2:46 – Swimming: "I was Sporty Spice"
4:58 – Leaving swimming at 18
6:02 – Developing an eating disorder
9:13 – The gym era
18:38 – Sitting with discomfort
22:14 – The knee injury and surgery
37:31 – Called masculine her whole life
41:19 – Breaking the HYROX record
43:22 – Her sister Megan Davis and building Aesene
53:49 – EXCLUSIVE: Her first marathon back
1:06:14 – Dream race