Search
shop

Hayden Wilde’s comeback moving closer – and why he’s inspired by Clarkson’s Farm

Kiwi star is literally on the road to recovery as he enjoys his first outside ride since his horrific bike crash earlier this year
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Injured triathlon star Hayden Wilde has taken two more major steps on his road to recovery by completing his first outdoor cycle ride and an indoor swimming session since the horrific bike crash that could so easily have ended his career.

The 27-year-old New Zealander is battling back after being hit by a truck while riding in Japan – a terrifying incident that left him with a punctured lung, six broken ribs, and a smashed-up scapula on his left shoulder.

Charting his recovery through a YouTube VLOG, which is embedded in this story below, the Paris Olympics silver medallist seems in high spirits as he embarks on a ride through the Pyrenees Mountains before stepping back into the pool for a full swim workout.

Advertisement

‘The body just responds’

Wilde, who lost out on Paris gold after an epic battle with Britain’s Alex Yee, is determined to make a full recovery from his injuries and has split his time between the Red Bull Performance Centre in Austria and his base in the Andorran mountains.

While riding to the top of the Coll d’Ordino mountain pass, he says: “This will be my first ride outside, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s a good day to be out. I haven’t been outside (on the bike) for a few months now, so it should be exciting, and we’ll see how it goes.

“The shoulder’s feeling pretty good. The benefit of being up in the mountains is that the roads are actually pretty smooth here in Andorra, so there is not a lot of vibration in the shoulder. And since we’re always climbing, I don’t actually have a lot of pressure through the shoulder, which is super nice, so it helps a lot just with the riding.

“It is good, there is no pain. When I am running, I feel smooth, the muscle memory is all there, it is just good to remind the body what it can do,” he said. “Ask the body a question, and then hopefully the body just responds.”

Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
[Photo credit: supertri]

Wilde, who recently had the all-clear from a series of specialists regarding his lung injury, has not ruled out the potential of a return to competition this year, and, according to his girlfriend, Belgian triathlete Hanne De Vet, he is making great progress.

After announcing that he was going to start swimming ‘with both arms’ for the first time, she added that it was not only in the pool where he was making great strides, as she is now unable to keep up with him on the bike and when running.

Hanne said: “I’ll get the camera in the water and show you this guy’s new stroke. To be honest, it actually looks better than it used to be before. He probably should have got the surgery before the Paris Olympics; that would have made his life way easier, but oh, well, we live and learn.

“Isn’t it great? I can’t follow him anymore on the bike, so his fitness is definitely growing. That means that he’s close to getting racing again. I think he’s enjoying the way back to fitness as well because he can see his numbers improving. It’s good for him to see the numbers going up instead of going down.”

Advertisement

Inspired by Clarkson’s Farm!

And Wilde even hinted at what he might turn to should the recovery not work out, having been inspired by Jeremy Clarkson in the Amazon series, Clarkson’s Farm.

“I’m a big fan currently of the series Clarkson’s Farm. And I just want to get into a bit of agriculture,” he said. “I don’t know why, but the idea is to speak to the locals and see if it’s OK for them to give me some land. Like, they can still own the land, but I’ll just look after it.

“How good would that be? Just putting in and tending to my own plants, planting some carrots, some potatoes. It’s great weather here, with rain at night and sunshine in the morning, the growth would be rapid.”

Triathlon fans are hoping that he doesn’t need to swap his training for tractors just yet.

Matthew Reeder
Written by
Matthew Reeder
Matt Reeder is a seasoned journalist and editor with more than 30 years’ experience working for regional newspapers and websites, including a 12-year stint as Group Sports Editor of The Yorkshire Post
Discover more
TRI-FIT VORTEX men's tri suit
Beyond marginal gains: A deep dive into the making of TRI-FIT’s most ambitious and advanced tri suit to date
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumHow to pace a triathlon to leave it all out there WITHOUT blowing up
Castelli Aero Pro 8S women's cycling jersey
Castelli Aero Pro 8S cycling jersey review: can this ultra-aero jersey turn watts into speed without dialling down on comfort?
Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL
PremiumTraining to heart rate vs power on the bike
Alistair Brownlee bike penalty T100 Ibiza 2024 Photo credit PTO
PremiumWhat’s the most aero way to carry water on your triathlon bike?
latest News
Matt Hanson IRONMAN Cairns run 2025
American star on the costly lessons learned from THREE Ironmans in FIVE weeks
Sam Laidlow bike IRONMAN Leeds 2025
Laidlow and Skipper hail anti-drafting progress – but highlight bigger issues
Julia Skala end of Norseman 2025
“A fight for self-worth, strength and healing,” Julia Skala on world’s toughest triathlon
Steve McKenna got the win at the 40th edition of IRONMAN New Zealand.
Star IRONMAN athlete clocks a sub-2:20 marathon – and says there’s more to come
Sam Long St George 2024 photo credit Getty Images for IRONMAN
‘Yo Yo Yo – London is calling’ – Sam Long the latest big name added to stellar T100 start lists
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...