Determined triathlete Helen is back in the race
AFTER four years off racing and nearly quitting the sport entirely, Welsh triathlete star Helen Jenkins has shown she has still got what it takes to be up there with the best.
On February 7, the 35-year-old mum from Bridgend lined up on a beach in Dubai for her first half Ironman triathlon.
To everyone’s surprise, she finished fourth. Speaking over the phone just hours after finishing the race – a 1.9km swim, 90km on the bike and 21.1km run – Helen said she was “really pleased”.
It might not be a podium spot but it’s a great achievement for someone who gave birth to her second child eight months ago, had barely trained and was told it was unlikely she would compete professionally again following major spinal fusion surgery two years ago.
“It will be nice to phone my surgeon and tell him
I’ve come through a professional race,” she told Wales on Sunday, although she admitted she could hardly walk after the longest race of her career.
“I’m definitely not used to those distances,” she said.
She had held third spot on the run until she was passed with 5km to go.
“I’m not used to that length of run – it was my longest run in five years,” she said. “I’d loved to have got a podium spot, but couldn’t have given anything more.”
You can’t question Helen’s resolve or her sheer grit and determination.
In the past three years, she’s had two children – Mali and Max – with her husband, coach and fellow Olympian Marc, and had surgery. She could be forgiven for slowing down a bit. Is it time for family life and to move on from the racing days and just reflect on a great career?
“Not just yet,” laughed Helen. “I’m not fast enough to race the ITU series, but with the 70.3, I just fancied trying something different.”
Helen’s last race was the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Cozumel at the end of 2016.
She said getting back into full-time training has been a challenge with a teething baby and a toddler in the mix.
“It is crazy busy with two kids and training near full volume. When I was training as a full-time athlete with no kids I thought I was busy, but now I realise I really wasn’t and probably watched way too much TV. I do love the busy life though, although more than three hours’ straight sleep would be good.”
Marc does a lot of the childcare when he can and the couple have worked out a good routine, but that doesn’t mean it is easy for Helen.
“Within 10 minutes of finishing a session I am back in mum mode, maybe going to the park or playing with Mali and Max. I think most mums feel guilt whatever they do: if they go back to work, if they stay home, there is always the feeling you should be doing more or something else.
“But, I am training for a reason, so I can get back racing, earn a living, fulfil my goals and also to hopefully race in front of the kids so they can see what I do. I am also a better mum if I have been training as the exercise restores and balances me.”
While pregnant with Max, Helen had spinal fusion surgery, very similar to the treatment golfing great Tiger Woods had. When Woods won his fifth Masters jacket on the Augusta greens in April last year, it was one of those comeback stories that gripped the sporting world.
At the start of the 2020 racing season, Helen looks to be on her own Woods-inspired injury comeback. Dreams of racing for GB at the Olympics again are almost non-existent, but her focus has now switched to doing what she can while being the best mum that she can.
The result in Dubai has certainly renewed her faith in returning to elite sport. For 15 years, Helen has raced at an international level but few knew that throughout that time she was suffering.
After a back problem which flared up in 2012, pain management was a critical part of her training. But then in early 2018, more than a year out of competition and after giving birth, her pain worsened.
Her concerns shifted from getting back to the start line, to simply being able to pick up her child. There were weeks where she could hardly walk.
Thoughts turned away from professional sport and towards the simple things, like going for a bike ride with her kids, or surfing on the beaches near Bridgend. She decided to have surgery.
“I now have screws and plates in my spine, so that doesn’t look very pretty,” she said.
It means she has had to change her swimming style. While she was recovering from the operation, knowing she would be away from the sport for some time, the couple decided to try for their second child.
Helen said: “With my first [pregnancy] I did pretty good, I trained a lot. I think I ran until about 38 weeks. With Max I found it a lot harder, was a lot more tired, and I had quite a lot of bleeding at 16 weeks which really scared me as it could have been a miscarriage. After that scare you’re not thinking about training, you’re just thinking about a healthy baby.
So I have started from point zero, no fitness.”
The three-time Olympian – who placed fifth at London 2012 – says her priorities have shifted since having her children.
Speaking about her roles as and athlete and mother, she said: “I’m just trying to be the best I can.”
“I feel like we are doing a pretty good job most of the time.
“I am so lucky I have great support in my journey back to racing, firstly from Marc who is such a good dad, husband and coach and both sets of our parents are brilliant. I wouldn’t be doing it without their help.
“I’m sure some people question it, but there’s so many good role models now of women coming back into competing after having children, it’s not such an unusual thing any more. It’s for my kids to see what I do. It’s quite unknown for me at the moment, but the motivation is there.”