Search
shop

Fractured sacrum for Caroline Livesey following cycling assault

Bad news for Caroline Livesey. Injuries sustained when attacked while cycling have been diagnosed and will keep her out of racing until late 2017
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

British PRO Ironman athlete Caroline Livesey confirmed last week that she has been diagnosed with a fractured sacrum.

On 11th May Caroline was out training on her Orbea Ordu when she was the victim of a vicious assault. A van driver became impatient at having to wait behind a bike on a twisty country road. This impatience was compounded when he had to slam his brakes on to avoid hitting a dog, and Caroline narrowly avoided hitting the back of his van. With anger out of all proportion to the incident, the driver then waited around a blind bend for Caroline slightly further up the road. When she rounded the bend he got out of his vehicle and proceeded to pull Caroline off her bike. As she was moving at speed the resulting impact left Caroline with nasty bruising to her back and head.

Caroline Livesey IRONMAN Texas
Photo Credit: FinisherPix

Caroline stated, “There was a witness who arrived at the scene seconds later and called an ambulance. I was in agony, but I thought that the injuries were just bad bruising and cuts. Unfortunately almost the entire force from the impact went through two small areas, the back of my head (resulting in a smashed helmet) and my sacrum. I didn’t slide on the road as you would normally when you come off your bike. The pain over the coming days became worse and I developed new and worrying symptoms which led me to seek specialist advice last week. Originally thought to be a prolapsed disk I was sent for an MRI, but this actually showed a fracture to the sacrum amongst other associated soft tissue damage.”

The assault came just as Caroline was ramping her training back up following a great race at Ironman Texas in April. Obviously disappointed, Caroline is trying to stay positive:
“This fracture means that I will have to be non-weight bearing for a considerable time to let it heal. Essentially it will prevent me from racing this summer, and I am gutted that all my plans for racing have had to be shelved at the moment. However, at least fractures tend to have a finite healing time and I hope that I will be back training in another 3-6 weeks. I am already considering races at the back end of 2017 and intend to return to competition fully fit and with additional fire in my belly!”.

There have been an increased number of attacks on cyclists by other road users in recent months and Caroline says she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from the cycling and triathlon community. The perpetrator of the assault is known to the Police and the case will progress to court.

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
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
latest News
The PTO's CEO Sam Renouf
PTO reveal ambitions of matching Roth and Kona as French Riviera T100 triathlon course details unveiled
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘No No No’ – Sam Long says he felt ROBBED by swim cancellation at ‘69.1 Chattanooga’
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
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...