Hayden Wilde, beaten but not defeated: his fight to return to triathlon

Hayden Wilde won't forget Tokyo for a long time. Everything was going smoothly: a few hours earlier he had beaten his personal best in 10K with a impressive 27:28.

But the next day, fate struck him hard: a Accident crossed his path while training in bikeThe impact was brutal.

The medical report speaks for itself: six broken ribs, punctured lung and shattered left scapulaA combination that not only left him out of the World Series, but also put his entire career in doubt.

“It felt like I had been eaten by a shark.”

From the hospital, Wilde remains humorous. In his video, he shows off the enormous scar left by the operation in Belgium: “It was supposed to be a small incision… but they ended up opening my entire scapula to avoid damaging the nerves. I feel like I've been eaten by a shark.".

He had to wait a week in Japan without being able to have surgery, until he got an emergency flight to Belgium, where a specialized team performed surgery on him more than five hoursAn operation that, according to doctors, was decisive in saving his career.

Rehabilitation without pause or excuses

Just three days after leaving the operating room, I was already at the gym. Its objective: not to lose shape, maintain mobility and begin recovery as soon as possible.

He could barely move his elbow, with great effort, but every day he made small progress: raising his arm, opening his fingers, feeling confident again.

"At first, you think you'll never be able to move again. But you make the gesture, see that it doesn't hurt as much, and you regain some confidence. It's all mental.", he explains in his video.

Sleeping sitting up, eating with one hand, and continuing to train

Daily life has not been easy: can't shower Because of the risk of infection, sleep in a reclining garden chair and has to eat with your right hand, despite being left-handed. In his vlog, he jokes around while trying to cut toast with one hand.

To stay active, walk on a treadmill with a 15% incline, do leg exercises and uses hyperbaric chamber to improve oxygenation and accelerate healing.

Sharing the process to inspire

Wilde has opened a YouTube channel where she shows her entire process: from her scars to her “adapted” workouts.I've never been through anything like this before. It's new to me, but I also want to show the real side of these injuries.", He says.

In one of the videos, he even talks about his emotional state. Suffers ups and downs, acknowledges that there are days when pain and frustration weigh heavily. But there is also light: “I hope this helps others. They see that we can move forward.".

The goal: to return to the starting line

He doesn't know exactly when, but he is clear the “why”: return to competing before the end of the yearIt would be his biggest victory in a truncated season, but it could turn out to be the most valuable of his life.

And he says it with a smile: “I want to come back stronger. Not just physically, but mentally too. This experience is transforming me.".

Because Hayden Wilde doesn't get out of the ringAnd this battle, although difficult, is fought at every step.