‘I struggle to see the finish line without crying’ – Kat Matthews on her return

Kat Matthews has told Bob Babbitt she’s incredibly happy to be back racing at Oceanside this week – but isn’t even allowing herself to create any expectations and will continue to take it step-by-step as she builds back after her horrific collision with a car in Texas last September.

Her remarkable recovery has been well documented in the PTO documentary ‘Crushed’ and there will be another significant step in that journey on Saturday when she lines up on the start line in California.

It’s ‘changed everything’

Bob Babbitt interviews are always engaging and insightful but this ‘Breakfast With Bob Oceanside’ preview, embedded below, is next level as Kat talks about the impact of the crash.

“I really don’t see it as coming back,” she explains. “This has dramatically changed me and everything in my life – physically, mentally and more.

“There have been some really big – yet small – steps along the way that have been incredibly motivating but it’s been so hard.”

From swimming using a snorkel, getting back on the bike and riding outside as soon as she was able to and so much more, it’s all discussed in the interview.

We’ll let you watch the full half-hour chat but as far as her hopes for Oceanside are concerned, she says: “I honestly have no expectation and I haven’t really allowed myself to think about it because I don’t want any expectation from myself.”

And whatever her final placing, it’s sure to be emotional, Kat admitting: “I’ve visualised the finish line and I actually struggle to see it without crying.

“The big step at the moment is to get back to doing an IRONMAN. I’m going to race Texas [on April 22]. It has no relevance that that’s where I had the crash, it really doesn’t.

“I just need to continue going super slowly to be healthy to get back to where I want to be in October. Kona is the goal at the moment.”