COAST IRONWOMAN SHOWS STRENGTH
REMARKABLE BATTLE BACK FROM INJURY
MULTIPLE world triathlon champion Melissa Hauschildt has broken through for her first win of 2017 after a series of surgeries made her question whether she would ever race again.
The Gold Coast product recorded an emotional victory in the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Western Sydney championship in Penrith.
What she’s hoped would be a year to remember became a year to forget for the former Commonwealth Games steeplechaser turned multiple half-ironman world champion with several surgeries to rectify a kinked iliac artery shutting off blood supply in her left leg.
Complications led to Hauschildt requiring blood transfusions, which left her without energy and unable to race at peak for four months.
“You have to go through tough times or it would be boring,’’ laughed Hauschildt after her long-awaited victory over fellow Australian Felicity Sheedy Ryan.
“I was very emotional at the finish line because for a bit I had thought my career might be over.
“But I just felt amazing out there. I was so great to be back.’’
So great in fact Hauschildt, 34, now plans to race a full ironman – 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run – in Western Australia next Sunday.
Hauschildt covered the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run course at Penrith yesterday in 4hr 07min 05sec.
“This has just made me want to do this more,’’ the Noosa-based athlete said.
“I still have goals. The No.1 is to win Kona (Hawaii ironman triathlon world championship).’’
In the men’s race, Australian veteran Dan Wilson made a fairytale finish to his career with his 3:42:11 victory.
Wilson smashed his own course record by more than three minutes in his final outing as a professional, beating Australian Tim Reed (3.14.33) and New Zealander Brayden Currie (3.43.36).
Wilson, 33, said even the record wasn’t enough to make him change his mind about retiring.
“No, it’s great to go out on top,” said Wilson, a year into a degree in clinical psychology. “It doesn’t get any better than that for an athlete.”
I WAS VERY EMOTIONAL AT THE FINISH LINE BECAUSE FOR A BIT I HAD THOUGHT MY CAREER MIGHT BE OVER