Search
shop

Mark Livesey: Chasing Life…

From fit, to hospital and back. Chasing Life is a new film which charts the journey of Mark Livesey in 2019 to the Fodaxman Exteme Triathlon
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Mark Livesey at the 2019 Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon

New triathlon film released – Chasing Life

A regular in recent years at some of the most challenging triathlons around the globe, Mark Livesey had all training – let alone racing – put on hold rather suddenly in 2019. An off-par performance at the Canadaman Xtreme Triathlon proved to be far more serious than just a bad day at the office.

Rather than getting back to training, Mark was soon after in a hospital facing an unexpected and worrying diagnosis. Plans on hold, this new film charts that story and his return to racing in December 2019 at the Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon in Brazil.

We found out more about the film (which you can watch below) and what happened, from Mark himself. Have a read, then grab yourself a coffee and enjoy the film!

Why did you decide to make a film?

In July last year (2019), Endurance Sports TV commissioned a documentary which followed our race at the Canadaman Xtreme Triathlon which is part of the Xtri World Tour (www.xtriworldtour.com). It was called Together Alone (you can watch it HERE). [Ed. As we highlighted last week, you can currently activate a free, three-month subscription to Endurance Sports TV].

In a heart-stopping finish, Caroline won the race by just 10 seconds [Ed. which we covered at the time HERE]. My own race didn’t go to plan and I had real problems during the event.

Caroline Livesey / Canadaman Xtreme Triathlon 2019

Two weeks after the race we flew to Vancouver, and during that flight a pain that I had been feeling in my calf became unbearable. I could no longer kid myself it was a muscle pain, and I agreed to go and see a doctor as soon as we landed. Six hours after an initial blood test, I found myself in hospital having numerous other tests and scans. These showed a large blood clot in my leg, and extensive clots in my lungs. The doctor who was treating me told Caroline and I that I was lucky to be alive.

I spoke about this a bit at the time on my podcast The Brick Session, as I think its important that other athletes are aware of the risks which are inherent with a sport like ours. I wanted to show this a bit more with the film and after Together Alone I thought people would be interested in the story that followed.

How did you cope with being told you could have died?

It didn’t really sink in because I had mainly ignored the early symptoms. The calf pain I had put down to a muscle injury and I didn’t really have any noticeable respiratory issues until the day I was in hospital. So, I didn’t have time to register the magnitude of the situation really.

The thing that concerned me most at the time was not being allowed to fly home to the UK. Rather than worrying about my health, I worried only about missing out on the summer holidays with my daughter as my time with her is so precious. I suppose it distracted me from the real dangers.

I knew straight away after diagnosis that my race plans for the next few months, and perhaps longer, would have to be put on hold. I had to accept that I couldn’t race the Black Lake Extreme Triathlon, which I was targeting a few months later. But straight away I started to think about racing at the end of the year. I suppose I never really considered that I could be affected for the long term.

Mark Livesey / Fodaxman Extreme Triathlon
Photo credit – Romulo Cruz for Fodaxman

What is the film about… and why should people watch it?

I wanted to highlight through Chasing Life that there are so many reasons to do this kind of extreme triathlon. Perhaps athletes think it’s hard to organise because you require a support crew, but the crew is one of the most amazing things about these races.

Xtri allows you to share the experience and makes racing about the people and the place. It’s not about the individual doing the race, chasing a time, or trying to be the best age-grouper. You can’t do these extreme triathlons on your own, it’s a team effort.

Caroline and I wanted to highlight this aspect as well, to show that these races bring people together. Xtri is so much more than swim, bike and run. I hope people who watch it will go through some of the emotions with us, but ultimately I’d like to think people will be entertained and maybe some athletes will even be inspired to do something different.

DIRECT LINK TO YOUTUBE FILM

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...