There could be no better way for GB pro triathlete Kat Mathews to make her comeback. In her own words, the Army physio is determined to "stick two fingers up" to what happened in Texas in September - by returning to the Lone Star State in May to try and qualify for the Big Island once more.
Matthews' bike crash in Montgomery County, blindsided by a motorist who turned directly across her path, was life-threatening. That she'd finished second in the Ironman World Championship in Utah in May, and was in the final throes of training for her Hawaii debut, was inconsequential. Messages from the triathlon world poured in, just wanting her to be okay.
Thankfully, as she flies past in the Derby Velodrome, barely breaking sweat when generating Ironman power, she's looking more than okay. This might not be the Kat Matthews Version 2022 who stopped an iron-distance clock in 7:31:54 in Germany in June, but with a few battle scars notwithstanding, she's heading in that direction.
"My favourite word at the moment is turbulent," Matthews says. Having interviewed the 32-year-old several times, I've learnt she chooses her words carefully. But this one has stuck.
"A lot of turbulent emotions this last 12 hours," was also the start of an Instagram post from her hospital bed in Texas after initially having fractures of the skull, sternum and two vertebrae diagnosed.
"Everybody knows that the journey from injury to fitness is not linear, but I think that with trauma there are so many hidden issues that don't come to light straight away," she continues. "For example, I recently found out I also fractured my hip and rib, [only discovered when the scans were reviewed by a military radiologist], but I'll give myself credit for clearly being intuitive with recovery. You also don't know the extent of the soft tissue damage and with a skull, neck and back injury there are hundreds of ligaments doing many different things."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Spring 2023-Ausgabe von 220 Triathlon.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Spring 2023-Ausgabe von 220 Triathlon.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE MULTISPORT MAVERICK
Bike powerhouse Andrew Starykowicz has done things his own way for the length of his 15-year pro career. Now, on the eve of his retirement, he looks back on the lessons learned along the way
HOW CONTRAST CAN LEAD TO PERFORMANCE GAINS
While volume and consistency are the cornerstones of endurance fitness, contrast and variability can play a key part of your training. Here, Ben explains how
SWIM STRAIGHT MASTERCLASS
WITH THE LAUNCH OF AN INNOVATIVE NEW 'SWIMSTRAIGHT' FUNCTION ON FORM'S SMART SWIM 2 GOGGLES, WE TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO WHY BEING ABLE TO SWIM IN A STRAIGHT LINE IS SO IMPORTANT TO OPEN-WATER SWIMMERS..
GROUP TEST OPEN-WATER GOGGLES
Finding the right pair of goggles can make or break your open-water swim. Luckily, we have a whopping 14 pairs on test this issue! It can be tempting to skimp on your open-water goggles and just use the same ones you've had in your kit bag all winter for pool swimming.
BUYER'S GUIDE BUDGET TRI-SUITS
You don’t have to break the bank to break your PB. Here are seven suits that claim three-discipline comfort and speed. Do they live up to their promises?
MID-RANGE WETSUITS
We included entry-level wetsuits in last month’s mag, but what do you get if'you move up a tier..? We tried 10 suits in the mid-range to find out.
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO TRIATHLON TRANSITIONS
You've started open-water swimming, spent hours on the bike and acclimatised to running on jelly legs. But what about transitions? The devil's in the detail here and those details could save you minutes on race day. So, here’s how to nail them...
THE TRAILBLAZER YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
It’s 100 years since Alfonsina Strada became the first and only woman to complete the men’s Giro d'Italia. Thanks to new women’s triathlon and cycling apparel brand Alfonsina, we reflect on the exploits of this incredible pioneer...
30 WAYS TO SMASH YOUR FIRST IRON
Nervously edging closer to your first full-distance triathlon? These tips will help send you to the finish line safe and sound...
"WE HAVE A UNIQUE SIBLING BOND THAT MAKES RACING SPECIAL"
Tia Watson is just 17 but she’s a recordbreaker already with a little help from her incredible brother, Rio...