Putting the 'TRY' in Triathlon
Back in 2020 when I first start having neuro-physiotherapy at the Morrello Clinic, Allison my physiotherapist asked me if I would like to take part in their annual para-triathlon, which is aimed at pushing patients who attend Morrello, that extra bit further. Before you ask, it's not expecting patients with conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), Parkinson's, or Superficial Siderosis to swim 750m, cycle 20km and run 5km. It's purely about getting patients to push themselves, pledge a distance, and have a bit of fun in the process. Due to the COVID pandemic, the Morrello Triathlon hadn't taken place for the past three years, so this was my first chance to get involved.Overview The brain plays a crucial role in regulating sleep ...
Each patient can have up to two other members on their team, and they can share the three events between them, or take part in whatever events they are able to. The goal is for all teams to collectively reach the distances of a triathlon. For me, I pledged to do 4 miles walking and 4 miles cycling (which I hadn't done since selling my bike in 2019 because I was no longer able to balance on it). Usually, I find I can walk two miles, give or take. It depends on how my legs hold up, how dizzy I am, or how bad the More is. Pledging double that was ambitious and a bit of a gamble at the same time, as I had no idea how I would feel waking up on the morning of the event.
Just Before the Event
On 7 th September, two days before the event, I got in the car to head to University Hospital of Wales to collect my deferiprone prescription (Iron chelation medication to help remove the iron from the brain and spinal cord), but as I was pulling onto the main road, which was due to be part of the triathlon route, I noticed cars turning around and going back the way they came from, and there was an awful lot of traffic. I didn't think anything of it really, until I returned from the hospital to find the road closed. Once I parked the car in the driveway, I went over to have a look; and it wasn't good considering it was to be the route of the para-triathlon.
The Big Day
Thankfully, when I woke up on the day of the triathlon, the zapping Overview It is challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of su... More that I get wasn't as bad as it usually is, the water in the area was back on, and with the start time being at 11 am, it gave me enough time to 'come around' and wake up properly. My family/teammates came to the house around half an hour before the start time, and we walked over to Morrello Clinic.
Cycling
Walking
The Pool/Rowing
The ups and downs of superficial siderosis make it so difficult to have consistency with mobility; or anything really. For me, taking part in the Morrello Para-triathlon was a huge personal achievement. Keeping the mobility issues at bay is a difficult task, and I usually do both physical and vestibular exercises every day. It's a constant battle, and I owe such much to the expertise at the Morrello Clinic, not only for helping me to get back on my feet again, but for teaching me to understand what I need to do to maintain the progress I have made.
