EASTER COMPTON’S Jane Leslie has fought her way back from a serious cycling accident to win several swimming gold medals.

The 62-year-old, who is also a successful triathlete, risked the icy roads to continue training last December when she came off her bike, which left her with a broken arm, cracked wrist and damaged tendons in her knee.

However, she has refused to give up and soon made her comeback in the pool, initially training with one arm before winning ten golds at three events.

Leslie, who won gold at the World Aquathlon Championships and ETU European Championships last year, has now begun doing triathlons again and could still go to the World Championships in Beijing in September if she feels fit enough.

As the oldest competitor at the Dorney Sprint Triathlon, she finished as the 17th overall lady and followed that up by coming second in her age group in the Ellesmere triathlon last weekend, which is a World Championship qualifying event.

She is set to race in the Dambusters triathlon this Saturday, which could see her qualify for the European Championships in Israel next year, and Leslie says that pushing through the pain barrier in recent months has been worth it.

“From what I’ve experienced, it is hard getting back into gruelling training if you stop,” said Leslie, who is still experiencing problems with her knee.

“I find a better approach is to push yourself to the limit and hope for the best.

“I’m just getting by on general fitness, I’ve lost five minutes from my normal run time so I need to work hard on getting my running up.”

Leslie, who won three gold medals at last year’s ASA National Age Group Championships, is most pleased with her achievements in the pool since making her comeback.

She won freestyle golds in the 1500m, 100m and 400m at the Welsh Open Masters in Swansea, the 1500m, 200m and 400m in the Gloucester Masters and 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m at the Cardiff Long Course Welsh Masters.

“Bashing through the swimming is what I’m most proud of because my leg was painful and I couldn’t kick at all,” said Leslie.

“That was the key, getting in the water as soon as I could. I didn’t look back from that.

“My arm is ok now, but it took a few months before it was, and my wrist is still painful.

“I kept swimming and for the first month I was swimming with one arm.

“That was hard, but in a way it was quite good because it made me concentrate on my other arm and get my technique sorted.”