Feature
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No Holding
BACK
In spite of severe back problems , 31-year-old triathlete Claudia Hazelwood continues taking part in long distance multisport and cycling events , and her love for sport is what drives her to overcome the pain barrier . – BY RACHEL PIENAAR
Images : Courtesy Claudia Hazelwood
Back pain and complications run in the Hazelwood family . Tragically , when Claudia was just 10 years old , her mother passed away whilst undergoing a back operation , and when Claudia participated in rowing while at varsity , she also began suffering from back problems , which continued after varsity when she turned her focus to triathlons . “ In the beginning , the doctors couldn ’ t really figure out what was wrong with my back . It was only much later that they discovered that the cartilage in my spine between the bones had been wearing off . In fact , in some places it was already completely worn out .”
To ease the pain and discomfort , the doctors advised Claudia to undergo surgery , but she didn ’ t want to put her dad through the trauma of having her also go in for a back operation . Instead , she turned to Pilates and other pain-relief treatments to alleviate the pain , increase the longevity of her spine , and allow her to continue pursuing her passion for triathlon .
A NEW ADVENTURE
At school Claudia was an avid sportswoman , but when she began her first year at Wits University , studying to become a chartered accountant , she decided to leave sport behind and focus on her studies , a decision she soon regretted . “ I started experiencing withdrawal symptoms , because I missed being active , and being part of a team . I really missed the atmosphere ,” says Claudia . So , in her second year , she signed up for the university ’ s rowing team . “ I felt like it would be an amazing challenge , because it was something I had never done before .”
Being naturally competitive , Claudia went all out , putting in extra hours of training for her new sport , and all that hard work eventually earned her a spot on the women ’ s team to represent South Africa at the 2013 Student World Games in Kazan , Russia . ( By that stage she was a lecturer as well as part-time student at Wits .)
However , with success came suffering , as the strain on her back really began to take its toll , with the cartilage between Claudia ’ s spine discs beginning to disintegrate from the combination of standing on her feet all day as a lecturer coupled with vigorous training . “ When I didn ’ t have problems , I would just carry on rowing , but when you are desperate to do well and make the SA team , you have to push through the pain ,” says Claudia .
TURNING TO TRIATHLON
Having decided to switch focus to triathlon after the Student World Games , partly to allow her back a respite from rowing , Claudia continued to have back problems , in spite of regularly visiting the physiotherapist and chiropractor . “ I was mainly competing in the Ironman distances , so there was a lot of training involved , which put a lot of pressure on my spine .” That didn ’ t stop her from completing her first 70.3 Half Ironman in 2014 , where she not only won her age category , but also qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Hawaii , where she placed 38th in her age category .
Then in July 2015 her back took a turn for the worse . “ I took part in the Challenge Roth in Germany and I had a really good swim , managing a PB time , but the moment I came out of the water it felt like my back had locked . It was almost impossible for me to stand up straight ,” says Claudia . Although she went on to finish the race , Claudia had a very slow and painful run , and she says she realised after struggling through two painful transition that she needed more time in each transition to recover and re-adjust , but that is just not possible during a race .
Then the doctors discovered that the discs in her spine had completely narrowed and flattened , and therefore no longer provided any shock absorption for the spine – but Claudia was adamant that surgery was simply not an option . The doctors therefore suggested she take a complete break from all sport , but she was back on her bike after just a month . “ I ’ ve been trying Chiro and Pilates , and my best option now is to go for cortisone injections into the joints in my spine , but all that does is take away the pain temporarily ,” says Claudia .
BACK FOR MORE
Looking ahead , Claudia says she plans to once again complete the Ironman 70.3 and Full Ironman events in 2017 , and says the bottom line is that she ’ s not going to let her back problems hold her back from doing what she loves . “ My love for life comes through training and sports , so that ’ s why , as silly as it sounds , it would be more painful lying around at home , which is what I did when I took that month off . I didn ’ t exercise at all , and it was like taking away my passion for life .”
Training with close friend Caroline Wöstmann
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