Triathlete runs to help others with spine injuries

“I THINK the simplicity of the act appeals to me the most,” says Matt Trautman about his love for running. “There’s an honesty about it. You just can’t fake it.”

The Red Bull ultra-distance triathlete claimed his fourth Standard Bank Ironman 70.3 in South Africa title in late January and finished in fifth at the Ironman 70.3 in Dubai.

In Buffalo City, Trautman was consistent over the 1.9km swim, then made his move on the 90.1km bike to move into first. He extended his lead on the run, clocking his fastest split in what is his favourite discipline.

In Dubai, he had an off day and managed to crawl his way back up the field into fifth, thanks to his run.

“The run took the longest to get back after the accident and the subsequent multiple-level spinal fusion,” Trautman said, explaining how his spine is fused over three vertebrae.

“The discs there no longer act as shock absorbers and this places a lot more load of the other discs and the muscles above and below the fusion.”

According to Trautman, it took a long time for the muscles to fully adapt and for him to work out exactly how much load and run volume his spine was able to handle.

“I now do a lot more running on the treadmill as the softer surface allows me to still get the mileage in.”

After nearly losing his ability to run, Wings For Life World Run has become a cause close to Trautman’s heart. All proceeds from this worldwide run in May go into research towards finding cures for spinal cord injuries.

“If advancements can be made in helping overcome spinal cord injuries, it would make an incredible difference to so many lives,” Trautman said.

Find out more about the Wings For Life World Run and the Pretoria event at: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en