A Tri-umphant Return

It's been nearly three years since 220 gear tester Jack Sexty did a triathlon, with an unwanted diagnosis scuppering his multisport aspirations. Could he wing it at the inaugural Weston Park Triathlon?

- By Jack Sexty

You have chronic osteoarthritis in your right hip and knee. That's not the kind of thing anyone wants to hear from a dour orthopaedic specialist, let alone a 31-year-old triathlete who hoped this was simply a sports injury that'd disappear with physio and rest.

Fast forward eight months and I'm about to start the 5km run at the Weston Park Sprint Triathlon, something I thought might never happen again on that rubbish day at the hospital. I take the first corner, find a rhythm and it almost feels like old times... until a massive hill appears and I'm reminded of my hugely haggard hip and knee, with a lamentable lack of run fitness thrown in for good measure. It's a long old slog to the finish...

MEET JACK

Former 220 staff writer Jack Sexty is now editor at Road. cc. Jack has raced everything up to Ironman distance, is a sub-2hr Olympic-distance athlete and has represented GB at the ITU World AG Champs on several occasions. He's also a regular kit tester on the pages of 220.

As you might have guessed, I've been on quite a journey since the diagnosis, and an even bigger one since my last triathlon, the 2019 age-group World Championships in Lausanne. Since then, a global pandemic happened, my leg stopped working properly, I moved house three times and met my long-suffering partner Kavita, now my fiancée. She's only ever known the crocked Jack, so this would be her first triathlon spectating experience/basically acting as my caddy while I stressed over elastic bands, goggle fitment and tyre pressures.

SELF-PITY AND DENIAL

The more recent part of my journey to the Weston Park start line has been a cycle of self-pity, denial, the realisation some people have it far worse, and acceptance. Self-pity saw me balloon to over 92kg, while denial meant trying to run through the pain.