'Should be absolutely no shame': Triathlon star's 'courageous' move after heartbreaking miscarriage reveal

Dual Australian Olympian Ashleigh Gentle is set to compete at the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on Friday night (AEDT), after suffering a miscarriage last week.

In an Instagram post shared on Thursday, Gentle revealed she would race in Doha, one week after experiencing a miscarriage at around seven weeks pregnant.

Sharing the news of her pregnancy loss, Gentle confessed to feeling overwhelmed with emotion while still endeavouring to celebrate her husband, fellow professional triathlete Josh Amberger's, final race in Chile.

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"It's not something I'd ever wish on anyone," she said.

"I've been overwhelmed with emotions while also trying to celebrate Josh's final triathlon in Chile.

"Honestly, I felt a little crazy still getting on my original flight to Doha. I have no idea whether I can be competitive on Friday (I wanted to be honest here), and I hope no one feels let down by this.

"I could so easily share a different story and pretend everything has been perfect, but it's exhausting, and the reality is that life doesn't always unfold the way we hope."

Using her platform to destigmatise miscarriage, Gentle expressed her professional aspirations and openly shared her future hopes for motherhood.

"There should be absolutely no shame in experiencing a miscarriage - so many women go through it, yet it can feel incredibly isolating," she said.

"I'm very grateful for the opportunities I have in this sport, and there is still so much I want to achieve. I also hope that one day I'll have the privilege of becoming a Mum xxx."

In a separate post, Amberger voiced his support and admiration for his wife.

"Very courageous of @gentle_ash to share the news of her miscarriage," he said.

"I left her at home to see through my dreams in Chile, but she went on to experience a heartbreaking loss.

"It's a duality that still feels surreal, not having been there to support her or being able to properly process it abroad. I'm on my way to Qatar now to finally be there for her.

"Asha, I'm in awe of your courage, and also your spirit to finish off the season."

In response to the public announcement, Gentle has been inundated with an outpouring of kind messages and support.

"I feel relief being honest about this, so thank you for the kindness and support," she wrote in an Instagram story.

"I'm happy that my openness seems to have been helpful to others, too, this is important to me.

"Now to focus on getting as ready as I can for this 'little' race."

The 34-year-old will start the world championship decider fourth in the T100 standings, after one race win this year.

Last year, Gentle finished the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour season in second place overall and secured third place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.

The Qatar T100 pro race, a 100km middle-distance format, consists of a 2km swim, an 80km bike ride and an 18km run.

Gentle competed in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where she finished 26th in the individual event, and returned for Tokyo 2020 to place ninth in the mixed relay.