Dynamic para-triathlon duo have an unbreakable bond
So often in sports, athletes talk about the bond they share with their teammates.
For Katie Kelly and Michellie Jones, their bond is simply unbreakable.
Kelly has Ushers Syndrome, a degenerative condition that causes vision and hearing loss.
The 42-year-old has been losing her hearing and sight since her early 20s, and in 2015, she was declared legally blind.
No longer able to compete in ironman races and marathons, she made the switch to paratriathlons. With Jones by her side, Kelly won a world championship in 2015 and a gold medal at the Paralympics in Rio in 2016.
The dynamic duo cruised to another gold medal performance with a time of 1:09:21 in the women’s PTVI category on Friday at the 2017 ITU World Para-Triathlon at Hawrelak Park.
“Nobody knows what it’s like to be in a partnership like ours. It’s a special partnership and I’m so grateful for it,” Kelly said.
“In many ways you can look at (her diagnosis) as bad news, but the good news is that I’ve had this opportunity to participate in paratriathlon and it’s because I was blind enough. That’s the irony. I grabbed the opportunity, and I haven’t looked back.”
The sport of triathlon is gruelling for any able-bodied athlete. Imagine not hearing the commotion going on around you and in Kelly’s case, her vision is only at 30 per cent. She virtually has no peripheral vision, either.
That’s where Jones comes in. She’s Kelly’s eyes and ears through the entire race.
For Jones, the 47-year-old who won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the opportunity to take on this new experience has been gratifying.
“I’ve been racing triathlons for 30 years and to get an opportunity to come in and help someone else is incredible,” Jones said. “What I love about this experience is KK (Kelly) is 42 and I’m almost 48 and we still have a passion to race on an international level. For me, it’s given me drive to keep pushing myself at an elite level.”
Being told you’re going to lose your hearing and vision would be incredibly scary for anyone. Kelly knows that day will come when she will no longer be able to see, but that isn’t stopping her from chasing down her goals and dreams.
“You have your dark moments and there is that fear of darkness, but then I meet my fellow triathlete Gerrard Gosens and he has absolutely no vision. We all have different fears we have to overcome and you just have to make the most with what you’ve got,” Kelly said. “If you’re determined and you’re passionate about life, anything is possible.”
Teaming up with Jones has allowed Kelly to become a world and Olympic champion.
Together they’ve shared a lot of golden moments over the past two years and they’re aiming for many more.
CANADA’S RESULTS: Calgary’s Stefan Daniel cruised to another gold medal in the men’s PTS5 category with a time of one hour and four seconds.
Fellow Canadian Jessica Tuomela finished just off the podium in fourth place with a time of 1:21:28 in the PTVI women’s’ category.