Brave
When Claire set out to run around the island of Mallorca, she thought the challenge would be physical.
She was wrong.
Months earlier, a single afternoon had changed everything. What followed was not a clear story of victim and villain, but something far more complicated, involving confusion, self-doubt and the slow realisation that what happened to her had a name she could barely say.
As a police investigation unfolds, Claire returns to Mallorca to finish what she started. But the island offers no easy escape. Paths disappear. Gates block the way. And with every mile, she is forced to confront not only the terrain in front of her, but the memories she cannot outrun.
Raw, honest and unflinching, this is a story about survival, the reality of reporting trauma, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward, even when nothing feels certain.
After losing a beloved friend, ultra- endurance athlete Claire Smith decided to take on the longest run of her life:
John o’Groats to Land’s End.
If that wasn’t hard enough, Claire chose to make the whole journey self-supported. She would transport her own equipment, purchase food and supplies en route, and sleep out at night. All in the middle of a global pandemic.
This book documents the challenges, laughs, tears, punctures, broken wheels and blistered feet along the way. Complete with photos, maps, routes and mileage, it provides a full record of this epic adventure.
In November 2019, Claire Smith became the first British athlete ever to complete a continuous Double Deca Iron Distance triathlon. 48 miles of swimming, 2,240 miles of cycling and 524 miles of running in 28 days, overcoming sleep deprivation, injuries and exhaustion in the process. However, but for a chance conversation, Claire may never have competed in triathlon at all - let alone achieve a podium place in one of the world’s hardest races.
Growing up, Claire hated sport. Throughout her teenage years and as a young woman, she struggled with an eating disorder, abusive relationships, and the downward spiral of alcohol addiction. But despite difficult personal circumstances and an apparent lack of sporting ability, Claire found success and happiness in ultra-distance racing, pulling herself from rock bottom to compete at the highest levels of the sport.A true story of courage, determination, and a testament to just how far the human body can go with a mind that won’t give up.
Portland (Dorset) is an island that refuses to be tamed - carved by wind, sea, and centuries of human hands.
When Claire moved here five years ago, she fell in love with its cliffs, its solitude, and its quiet resilience. But after an experience that left her lost and uncertain, this project became her way back.
Through photography, walking, and relentless curiosity, Claire explored the hidden corners of Portland: abandoned tunnels, lost quarries, shipwreck churches, forgotten lighthouses, and wild headlands where the wind never stops.
This book is part history, part travelogue, and part recovery - a raw, honest account of what happens when you go looking for the stories buried in a landscape... and find yourself reflected there.