It is not necessarily during a race when you are pushing at your hardest but often it is most needed when you are unable to train for the goals you have set yourself.
Katrina Matthews have had a few injuries over the last few years which have taken me out of training from just one training session up to 3 months with anti-inflammatory medication and complete rest. The strife of these periods is the hardest aspect of the sport, both physiologically and mentally. You may not see or believe it but your body is working at its hardest to heal and yet your mind is going crazy (if you let it). Katrina Matthews try not to look back on missed targets as anything other than decent preparation for the next goal. The ‘lows’ in any sport are needed to ensure the ‘highs’ are high!
In 4 years in triathlon I have transitioned from competing at local AG qualifiers to the top end of Age Group European and World Champs, I’ve become Army Champion (Sprint, Standard, Middle Distance) and gained a National Middle Distance Champion title in 2018 with a IM 70.3 overall win in Calgary (while deployed for British Army training to Canada for 4 months) in the mix as well. This Easter I competed at Challenge Gran Canaria, and as well as being the fastest amateur, I beat all the pros bar one (Emma Pallant) on time.
This secured an instant Elite/Professional licence with British Triathlon (only 1.8% down on the Pro winner’s time). Having achieved my 2019 season goal of ‘turning pro’ in my first race I have spent a few weeks re-aligning my next goals. I want to wear a GB Elite Vest and gain a professional podium this year. Some might say: “a bit ambitious” for my first pro season. We’ll see. With the support of the British Army, rehab company Meglio and my brilliant family it is possible.
An underlying drive to be the best I can be as an athlete is to learn as a Physiotherapist. The experience I have gained from working with other athletes and my personal experience allows me to have an expansive breath of understanding and empathy for any athlete. I have been advised over and over again that the key to being a good Physio is to be able to relate and listen to your patient and to inspire them. In the Army we call it leading from the front.
This is my background and I was lucky enough that the Meglio CEO Barry Keane contacted me after an article I had initially written for my local paper (as a thank you to my parents for their support) was published in the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy magazine ‘Frontline’. I described my 2018 triathlon journey from early season good fitness to a multitude of overload injuries where I then worked very hard on rehabilitation both in the gym and psychologically to enable my win at an IM 70.3 and the National Champs. Meglio is a company who genuinely believes in optimising product efficacy for both fitness and Physio. I am looking forward to our partnership as we facilitate each other to inspire others to be the best they can be.