Sharon Morgan from Banbury had always been active and kept fit through swimming and cycling before her operation.

As the pain in her right knee became worse, her everyday life became restricted, leaving her to have a total right knee replacement at Nordorthopaedics in Lithuania last November.

The 62-year-old said: “I could barely stand for more than five minutes and struggled going up and down stairs.

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Banbury grandmother Sharon Morgan won a triathlon just six months after undergoing knee surgery. (Image: Sharon Morgan)

“My limited mobility even made playing with my grandchildren very difficult. Along with the pain, the constant knee stiffness and frequent seizing were frustrating, and I couldn’t sleep at night.

“That’s when I decided it was time for surgery.”

One of the most emotional moments came during Sharon’s recovery in Kaunas, after she had stopped using crutches and was walking through the city centre.

“I became aware that I was actually walking like a normal person, upright, eyes up and looking at my surroundings,” she said.

“I found this to be a very emotional moment as the realisation swept over me that this had been a positive decision and that I was on the road to a new chapter bringing me closer to normality.”

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Banbury grandmother Sharon Morgan won a triathlon just six months after undergoing knee surgery. (Image: Sharon Morgan)

Even before travelling to Lithuania, Sharon had set herself the challenge of competing in a triathlon, because although she could swim and cycle, she had not run for 40 years.

On Sunday, May 24, six months after her knee replacement, she completed a triathlon race in Spain after training in swimming, cycling and following a couch to 5km running programme.

“I was so surprised by how strong my knee was and how well it stood up to the demands of the event,” Sharon reacted.

“I still pinch myself that I can now do these sorts of events, which I gave up some years ago. The most amazing thing of all… I came first in my age group!

“Who would have thought that after all this time, you can still do it if you put your mind and heart into it.”

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Banbury grandmother Sharon Morgan won a triathlon just six months after undergoing knee surgery. (Image: Sharon Morgan)

Modern triathlon is a relatively young sport, with its first recognised swim-bike-run race staged by the San Diego Track Club in California in September 1974 as an alternative to traditional track training.

That Mission Bay event saw athletes complete a short run, bike and swim in succession, and it quickly caught on with endurance enthusiasts in the United States and then Europe.

The format grew rapidly through the late 1970s and 1980s, helped in part by the creation of the gruelling Ironman race in Hawaii in 1978, which combined a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon run.

Triathlon’s first world governing body, the International Triathlon Union, was formed in France in 1989 and went on to standardise the now-familiar Olympic distance of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run.

The sport made its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games in 2000 and has since expanded to include events such as paratriathlon and mixed team relay on the world stage.

The Government says the Growth Corridor vision is for “a world-leading innovation corridor in the UK” which will be “a vibrant and innovative hub for globally renowned science and technology firms and internationally successful start ups”.

The plan sets out five priorities, including a single innovation ecosystem, the corridor becoming globally connected, accelerated innovation adoption and diffusion across the UK, building a complete end-to-end innovation and value capture system and enhancing quality of life through inclusive growth, nature and sustainable development

According to the Government, the plan draws inspiration from the work of the Wildlife Trusts, recognising that long-term prosperity and economic growth must go hand-in-hand with nature recovery.

Estelle Bailey, CEO of BBOWT, pictured in Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve, West Oxfordshire

Some 160,000 extra jobs would be created and £105bn of extra venture capital investment is expected to be created from the region.

The framework primarily takes inspiration from a report created by Oxford Brookes University and Cambridge Econometrics.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the “supercluster” that will be created in the region turns “world-class research into jobs and long-term growth”.

Science minister Lord Vallance added: “We have already seen the impact of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor on people’s lives with breakthroughs in healthcare, clean energy, and as an engine for economic growth.

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“The collaboration behind this framework – bringing together local leadership, universities, industry, and environmental organisations – reflects exactly the kind of joined-up approach required to reap further rewards from its huge potential, including high-skilled, innovative jobs and research that changes lives.”

Andy Williams, chair of the Oxford–Cambridge Supercluster Board, said: “The Oxford to Cambridge region already contains many of the ingredients found within the world’s leading innovation ecosystems, globally recognised universities, pioneering science and technology businesses, exceptional talent and strong investor interest.

Former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, during a media briefing in Downing Street on (Image: PA)

“This framework provides a shared long-term direction for how those strengths can be connected more effectively into a truly integrated supercluster capable of competing on a global stage.

“Importantly, it also recognises that growth must be sustainable, inclusive and focused on improving outcomes for people and places across the region.”

Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “Oxford and Cambridge have a rich history of producing discoveries that change lives, create industries and drive economic growth.

“This vision sets out our collective determination to better capture that economic value by creating the environment and conditions for the many companies we launch to stay and grow successfully within the UK rather than move abroad.

“A connected corridor, populated by world-class universities and built around East West Rail, is how we achieve that goal: a coherent pipeline from laboratory to spinout to scaling business that stays in the UK.”

Estelle Bailey, chief executive of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, said the corridor’s success must be measured by the health, resilience and quality of the environment.

“It is encouraging to see nature recovery, climate resilience and access to green space embedded within the long-term vision for the corridor,” she said.