World Trail Running Champ and full-time firefighter Ricky Lightfoot kicks off our NuroKor 'Meet the Ambassador' series

World Trail Running Champ and full-time firefighter Ricky Lightfoot kicks off our NuroKor 'Meet the Ambassador' series

Meet NuroKor ambassador Ricky Lightfoot. Ricky is not only a full-time Firefighter and dad but is also a successful World Trail Running Champion. In our 'Meet the Ambassador' blog series we talk to Athletes like Ricky about balancing life with sport and achieving optimal sports recovery.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Ricky Lightfoot and I’m from Cumbria, by day I work as a Firefighter and the rest of the time you’ll find me either on the fells in and around the Lake District or at home with the family.

Top accolades 

  • Numerous English and British vests for Mountain Running
  • World Trail Running Champion 2013
  • Winner of the classic Borrowdale Fell Race (7 times)
  • World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships 3rd 2009
  • Skyrunner World Series 3rd Place

What does your average day look like?

My usual day differs a fair bit from week to week, with my job I’m pretty lucky as I work 2-2-4, that allows me a lot of flexibility with training and family and means that usually I can get all my training done whilst my daughter is at school and my partner is at work.

How do you balance your job, sport and family life?

Again flexibility in my job is important and allows me to do what I do without having to sacrifice anything, I always say if you want something bad enough you’ll be willing to do what it takes to get it done; early mornings, late evenings and even squeezing half an hour in my lunch break

What injuries have you had and how do they affect you now?

I’ve had a few injuries over the years, from common ones like Achilles Tendinitis and ITB Syndrome but I’ve also had a Hip Arthroscopy more recently which has taken the longest to recover from.

How does NuroKor help you manage your recovery?

I use NuroKor devices a lot to aid recovery, especially after a hard session, it helps relax the muscles and as it’s “active” recovery it helps take away any toxins which have built up. It also promotes fresh blood flow to the areas which need it most.

What area do you target with the NuroKor devices?

I use it on my legs. Mainly, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, but I’ve also used it on my neck and back to relieve tension.

Future plans?

I’ll be targeting a couple of races this year which I’ve wanted to do for a few years now, one of which is a race called Man v Horse where runners race against horse and rider over the marathon distance in Mid Wales.