‘40-year-old-housewife’ defies cramps to take title

Nelson’s Elina Ussher doesn’t do badly for a ‘‘40-year-old housewife’’.

Ussher labelled Saturday’s Coast to Coast longest day women’s title as her most meaningful after battling through severe leg cramps to win.

The 39-year-old has previously been a champion in 2010 and 2012, but pushed through extreme pain to cross the finish line first at New Brighton Beach.

She rated her win as the most special of the three.

Ussher, the wife of race director and five-time men’s longest day winner, Richard Ussher, was com- peting in her 11th Coast to Coast.

In the lead up to the race, she referred to herself as a ‘‘40-year-old housewife’’ and said it was one of the gutsiest victories of her multisport career.

‘‘I’m nearly 40, so it’s pretty awesome to be able to win.

‘‘I take care of Richard, he’s working and making money. I’m just a housewife with a cool hobby.’’

Ussher was able to overtake French native Myriam GuillotBoisset one hour into the kayak and held to win by six minutes in 13hr 32min 41secs.

Early into the race, Ussher experienced throbbing in her legs, which bothered her all day.

‘‘I felt really quite bad after the run.

‘‘For some reason, I was having very bad cramps all the way through, right from the start. I don’t know what was going on, but it was quite painful.’’

Ussher trailed Guillot-Boisset by six and a half minutes after the mountain run finished at Klondyke Corner, but said she never gave up hope.

The talented kayaker focused on her own race and tried to make up ground in the boat, which offered slight relief for her ailing legs.

‘‘The kayak was a bit easier, but in some places [my legs were] still cramping.

‘‘I was just trying to keep the pace, but it wasn’t easy.’’

Guillot-Boisset produced a sharp time on the 33km mountain run [three hours,40 minutes], but ran into trouble on the Waimakariri River in the kayak.

‘‘I made many mistakes on the paddling . . . I’m a little bit sad,’’ she said.

‘‘When you race, everything has to be synching perfect and you can’t have a mistake, if you want to win a race at the top-level.

Guillot-Boisset had one of the more interesting back stories of the Coast to Coast.

She is based in the Canary Islands, off Africa’s northwestern coast, but heads to New Zealand to compete in the 243km South Island multisport event.

Guillot-Boisset is a close friend of the Usshers and wanted to support the race.

‘‘I know this race. This is the top race in New Zealand. I have to do this race.’’

BRENDON EGAN

‘‘I take care of [husband] Richard, he’s working and making money. I’m just a housewife with a cool hobby.’’

Elina Ussher, right