Emily is hoping her story of overcoming adversity can help others go after their own ambitions

A woman living in Belfast is taking on the challenge of being the first woman to complete every UK Ironman race in one season – and she’s doing it after having major leg surgery.

Emily Bond is originally from South Devon in England, but moved to Northern Ireland just over six years ago to attend Queen’s University. In 2018, she had surgery on both her legs for compartment syndrome, a condition where high pressure within muscle compartments restricts blood flow.

Following this, she had to recover both mentally as well as physically, and it was around two and a half years before she could run again. Emily began her journey into triathlon training last year, and was inspired to take on the huge challenge by a friend.

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Now, she has set herself the major challenge of taking on all five Ironman events taking place across the UK this year, and will be the first woman to take on the feat.

Three of the events are Half Ironman triathlons, which include taking on a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride, and a half marathon. The remaining two are full Ironmans, which is double the distance at a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride, with a full marathon at the end.

Speaking to Belfast Live about her journey up to now, and how she feels to be taking on the huge challenge, Emily said: “In 2018, I had surgery on both of my legs for compartment syndrome, and couldn’t run for around 2.5 years or so. It was a combination of physical recovery, but then the mental recovery of it too.

“I signed up for my first 5K last year, in April, and just went from there, I built up over the summer. I only got into triathlon last year.

“During the summer I was out for a cycle with an acquaintance and we were talking about Ironman competitions, as he was doing one. I said it’d be cool to do that one day, and it was on my bucket list.

“He was saying about how it takes years to train for them and I thought I had a pretty solid fitness base, so I signed up for a half Ironman, which I did in Weymouth last September. When I was doing that, I thought what if I did all the UK ones – because that’s a natural thought to have!

“At Weymouth I was put in touch with Ironman UK and they confirmed I’ll be the first female to do all of the events in one year, which is insane. I thought no pressure then, representing the women out there!”

As part of her challenge, Emily has set herself a goal to raise money for charities that have helped her out along the way: Extern, Cycle Against Suicide, Childline, and St John’s Ambulance.

She added: “I wanted to give back as they have done so much for me. I wouldn’t be here without some of them, so I want to give back, especially as it’s such a big challenge, I want to highlight the impact they make as well.”

Originally, Emily had planned to run the Belfast City Marathon as her first full marathon in preparation for the Ironman events later this year. However, she has made the decision to take part in a different way, as a lead cyclist for the event, and save her running for later events.

Looking ahead to the beginning of the Ironman events, with the first taking place in Bolton in nine weeks, Emily said she’s gearing up for the challenge and mostly looking forward to it.

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“I’m a bit nervous and mostly excited, it’s a half Ironman which I’m looking forward to. I think the full Ironmans are more intimidating at the moment, but my first full isn’t until mid-August which is in Leeds, so there’s still time to figure things out between now and then,” she said.

She hopes her story and the challenge she’s taking on will help inspire others to take on challenges, big or small, and achieve a goal.

Emily added: “Some days it’s intimidating being the first woman to take on this Ironman challenge. I don’t know if this is how other women felt, you know, like the first woman to have run a marathon event.

“But it’s also empowering as this is a first I’ll get to have for the rest of my life, and I hope it can inspire many other people, not just women, but anyone in general to have ambitions and pursue them.

“A lot of what I do as well is about that general adversity, and you don’t have to let it stop you doing things. It’s something about just pivoting that into action to go and do stuff.

“I’m hoping what I do will inspire someone to take that next step. It may not be going and doing every Ironman in the UK, it could be signing up for their first race, or trying something new they’ve always wanted to try. I think the small things are the big things as well.

“There’s always so much to learn from any experience you do, but if you don’t put your hat in the ring, then you never know.”

If you would like to donate to Emily’s Operation Ironwoman challenge, you can find out more by clicking here.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

During the 1900s, this village was the perfect place for pub goers

For pub goers, a local village pub is one of the best kinds to go to. The chances are that everyone will know everyone; they offer a family-friendly atmosphere, and they always tend to be of a rustic nature.

For one Cambridgeshire village, there was once a time when there were so many pubs on offer, it made the choice of going to just one a hard choice. This is Fulbourn, which by 1910 had 11 pubs in the village.

This was around 120 people for one pub. During the 14th century, Fulbourn had many ‘alewives’, who were known for keeping open during the late hours. In 1700, the village was reported to have three pubs.

One of them, known as The Six Bells, is still open today. Although it had nearly a dozen pubs in the early 1900s, there are only three that remain today.

Today, the village is home to The Six Bells, The White Hart and the Bakers. As well as its popular pub culture, the village is filled with charm and character.

The village streets are lined with thatched cottages and lovely gardens. There is also lots of nature to explore, such as at the Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve.

If people visit the nature reserve, they will also see a medieval moated site. This is at Hall Orchard.

Excavations have been undertaken of the moated area, which is believed to have been occupied from at least the 13th century until the late 17th century. Another nice place to walk in Fulbourn is Fleam Dyke.

This is a linear earthwork between Fulbourn and Baldham. Stretching over three miles, this was constructed between the 4th and 5th centuries by the Anglo-Saxons.

There is an array of wildflowers along the route, as well as wildlife such as butterflies and other insects along the way. For history buffs, pub goers or nature lovers, Fulbourn is worth a visit.

A boxing promoter has discussed a possible fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland has claimed that the date and venue for a future showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have already been confirmed. The two British heavyweights are long-standing rivals yet have never faced one another inside the ring.

As both fighters edge closer to the twilight of their illustrious careers, speculation has intensified regarding a potential bout later this year. The match-up has been mooted on numerous occasions previously but has ultimately failed to come to fruition.

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Tyson Fury has come out of retirement to face Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash in London on April 11. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle or £24 Ultimate TV bundle, the latter of which also includes HBO Max and Disney+.

Fury returns to the ring to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joshua was last in action against Jake Paul in December. However, later that month, he sustained minor injuries in a car crash that tragically claimed the lives of two of his friends, throwing his immediate plans into disarray.

As Fury prepares to take on Makhmudov, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken about the possibility of his fighter facing Deontay Wilder this summer. The Matchroom chief recently brushed aside suggestions that an agreement was already in place to meet Fury, but fellow promoter Sauerland has indicated it is a foregone conclusion.

“I think Fury-AJ is done for the Autumn in Dublin,” Sauerland told iFL TV. When asked for further clarification, he added: “That’s what I’ve heard, done for Dublin in I think September/October. Have I put my foot in it? That’s what I’ve heard, word on the street.”

It is worth noting that Sauerland has no affiliation with either fighter and the promoter’s remarks stand in stark contrast to Hearn’s position last month. In an interview with The Stomping Ground, he said: “There is absolutely nothing signed with Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury next. There is nothing agreed.”

Hearn explained that, before Joshua suffered injuries in a car accident, the original plan had been for AJ to compete in the spring ahead of a clash with Fury. Joshua is now expected to return in the summer as he continues his recovery.

“This is what I want. We need a warm-up fight before we fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn said. “Because AJ is coming off the accident. He’s rehabilitating his body. We will take Deontay Wilder as that warm-up fight. And then we will fight Tyson Fury in December.”

He continued: “By the way, I respect Wilder, and I think he looked much better in that fight than he has done previously. But let me tell you… Anthony Joshua will walk through Deontay Wilder within three rounds. We’re going to fight before Tyson Fury.”

However, Fury has called on Joshua to abandon any plans for a comeback bout before squaring off against him. The 37-year-old is eager to reach a deal with AJ, fearing that any further delays risk derailing their long-awaited clash once again.

“That fight was supposed to happen so many times over the last 10 years,” Fury said. “But then someone has had one more fight in between, or someone has been knocked out or injured.

“Forget Wilder, the man is a shell of himself, and forget anyone else. Let me get through Saturday, and then we will do the fight before the end of the year.”

James Phelan performed real magic on stage during the auditions in Blackpool

Britain’s Got Talent viewers have praised a magician’s performance on Saturday night after discovering he has a famous uncle.

It comes as Simon Cowell and his fellow judges – Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI – returned to Blackpool for another round of auditions alongside iconic hosts Ant and Dec.

Last year, it was young magician Harry Moulding who won over the public vote and secured the big win as well as a place at the Royal Variety Show.

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Now, thousands have auditioned for the hit ITV series with the hopes of performing in front of the Royal Family themselves and securing the £250,000 prize.

James Phelan, a magician, took to the Britain’s Got Talent stage on Saturday, 11 April, and soared through to the semi finals with four yes’s.

During his act he made Amanda’s ring disappear, swallowed a bunch of needles and correctly guessed Alesha’s favourite colour with an audience involvement gag.

Before his performance, James told the judges that he is the nephew of magician and TV presenter Paul Daniels, who died in 2016. After his audition, viewers took to social media to share their thoughts.

Over on X, formerly Twitter, @RyanSoapKing25 said: “#BGT James Phelen:- I usually hate Magic acts but I actually really enjoyed this one – Magic with the added danger element. James was so charismatic as well which makes or breaks a magic act. I enjoyed that!”

@justinandkimsma wrote: “Paul Daniels’s nephew is good.”, and @Matt528chap added: “A danger act and a magician combined.”

Britain’s Got Talent viewer @SHANEOfficial_ said: “James! Magic is clearly in your DNA! And brilliant presentation. Very, very well done”, and @suzyglitter1 said: “I’m sure Paul Daniels would be proud”

@ihnewman said: “now thats magic”, and @blue_laur11 said: “James the Magician was fantastic ! I’m sure his uncle Paul is looking down with the biggest smile on his face”

Also on Saturday, breast clinic nurse Joan Thomas, 56, soared through to the quarter finals with four solid yes’s after performing a beautiful rendition of Pie Jesu.

And youth worker Ren DMC auditioned with his personal diss track about the judges which included throwing shade at Alesha for being a ‘Temu version of Spice Girls’, and roasted KSI for his boxing, acting and music.

Mullins, who joins Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as a four-time National-winning handler, said: “It was a good call from JP, I’d been going down the Gold Cup route with him, but he said to stay in Aintree with him as he felt he was well handicapped. Paul just executed it so well.

ROME (AP) — In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and called for dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.

Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit.”

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

There have been multiple reports of black panthers, pumas and a lynx in Northern Ireland

Police have received reports of eight ‘big cats’ roaming around Northern Ireland during a four year period.

A freedom of information request has show that from 2020 to 2024 there were a number of reports of pumas, panthers and lynxs across Northern Ireland, however on each occassion the large animal could not be found. One caller queried with police whether or not he would be able to shoot a large cat if it came on his farm land.

The FOI shows that prior to September 2021, police would send officers on a patrol to check out whether or not there may be a big cat in the area but has since stopped doing so.

The reports of big cats in Northern Ireland

On May 28, 2020, police received a report from someone saying that a “black cat believed to be a Lynx had just killed 2 of her kittens” in Co Tyrone. The person said “saw the large cat roll around afterwards and then make it way towards the forest” and that it was “about the size of a Labrador”.

Police did not attend the report with the caller saying they would call police if they saw the animal again.

On August 10, 2020, police received a report from someone in the Portadown area saying that their father believed “a black puma/panther stepped out in front of his vehicle from the bushes on to the grass verge then stepped back in again seconds later.” The caller also said that their dad was “sure it was a puma and had warned another female who was in the area.

Police responded by checking the area, however found no big cats and believed the man may have seen a cow or a horse as there was livestock in the area.

On April 10, 2021, police received reports of a panther or “large black cat the size of a dog” at Hillsborough Forest Park and that they had seen it on two seperate occassions.

Police said they had officers in the area throughout the evening and there had not been any signs of panthers in the park.

On July 8, 2021, police received reports of “a very large puma sized cat like creature, dark brown in colour” in Castlerock, Co Derry, with the caller saying they had a picture of the animal.

Police attended the scene and spoke with the person, however after a patrol of the area they were unable to spot a large cat.

On September 28, 2021, police received reports of a “big cat that looked large like a puma” in Armoy, Co Antrim, and that the caller owned a sheep dog and it was much larger than it. The caller also said that it was dark at the time and they had no photographic evidence of the animal.

Police did not respond as the report was made two days after the sighting.

On August 8, 2022, police received reports of “black panther” in the Desertmartin area of Co Derry with the animal also being reported to the USPCA. The caller said “it wasn’t a domestic cat and was approxamately 3-4 times larger.” Police did not respond to the incident.

On the same day, August 8, 2022, police received reports of a “large black cat, around the size of a Panther/ Cougar/ Jaguar in a field” in Ballymoney at around 1.45pm. The caller told police he “used binoculars to view it for a few minutes and to determine scale and size of the animal.” He also “spotted it two Saturdays ago, one in the morning and once in the evening, then yesterday in the afternoon.” He told police that some fields have been cut and this may provide less cover for small prey animals.

Police did not respond to the incident.

On October 12, 2024, police received reports of a “black panther” or “cat bigger than a labrador” in Corbet, Co Down, with the caller “Wanting to know if there were any other sightings in the area” and said “he was thinking of lamping foxes later & wanted to know what to do if he came across this again”. Police told the caller there had been no other reports in the area and that as long as he was “on his own land and has a firearms certificate then this should be fine on the basis of protecting his livestock.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police would become involved in incidents of this nature with regard to public safety issues and also investigate a possible breach of the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 for releasing a non-native species into the wild.

“If anyone does spot what they believe is a dangerous wild cat , the first – and perhaps most obvious piece of advice – is not to approach it. Take a note of the location and inform police or the USPCA straight away.“If an animal which is considered to be a dangerous species is in the possession of a homeowner, then the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) would take the lead.”

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It was a Grand National to savour for Irish trainer Willie Mullins as he celebrated his third consecutive victory thanks to I Am Maximus – equalling the feat achieved by the legendary Vincent O’Brien.

Between 1953 and 1955, O’Brien became the first trainer to win the iconic race three times in a row as Early Mist, Royal Tan and Quare Times triumphed.

Mullins has now etched his name in Aintree folklore and told BBC Radio 5 Live: “That is some company to be up there with Vincent O’Brien. He is a legend of legends in the game.

“To be lucky enough to be mentioned in the same breath as him is just off the charts. You never dream of that sort of thing.”

It has not come easy for the 69-year-old, though.

After winning his first National with Hedgehunter in 2005, Mullins had to be patient for 19 years until I Am Maximus landed the first of his two victories in 2024.

He has since dominated with Nick Rockett (2025) and I Am Maximus (2026) making it four in total – equalling the records of George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain.

I Am Maximus, ridden by Paul Townend, went into the race 9-2 favourite after significant late support by punters and became the first horse since Red Rum in 1977 to regain the Grand National.

There was further history for I Am Maximus, with a handicap of 11st 12lb, becoming the first top weight to triumph since Red Rum carried 12st in 1974.

When Ben Jones made his move on 28-1 shot Jordans around the final bend, Townend stalked the leaders on I Am Maximus and finally burst for the front near the famous Aintree elbow. The rest is history.

The feat also meant JP McManus is the leading owner in the history of the race with four wins – backing up the victories of Don’t Push It in 2010, Minella Times in 2021 and I Am Maximus in 2024.

Mullins is a 19-time Irish National Hunt Champion trainer and launched late charges in the past two years to take the British title for the first time.

He is set to lose that crown this year, despite winning £500,000 with I Am Maximus, as Dan Skelton – who won four races at Aintree on Saturday – has created history by becoming the first trainer to pass the £4m mark.

Mullins is also in a battle with Gordon Elliott for the Irish title, but with the Punchestown Festival to follow between 28 April and 2 May, he is expected to come out on top.