Search
shop

The rise of Kat Matthews and ‘the moment everything changed’

The Kat Matthews Story - check out episode one of Crushed, the latest documentary series from the PTO.
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Great Britain’s Kat Matthews is the latest athlete to be featured in a new documentary series by the PTO, Crushed: The Kat Matthews Story. You can watch episode one, right here, embedded below.

Advertisement

The accidental triathlete

One of the remarkable aspects of Kat’s status in the sport, is that even now she has a limited experience in triathlon.

“I had seen that the Army did a training camp in Cyprus for triathlon. One of the reasons why I started doing triathlon was I thought, sweet, I can get two weeks out of work to do a training camp in Cyprus. So I got enough just so I could go on that training camp. And that’s where I met Mark.”

Her now husband, Mark Matthews, is a key part of the Team Matthews, and was instrumental in the logistics of her Sub8 success. Military precision and all that.

Talking about Kat in this episode, he describes her as, “Thoughtful, intelligent and those two things go together really well, in that she thinks about everything that she’s doing. Driven, obviously, and being very bright and knowing what you want together, I think you can be balanced and successful.”

Star on the rise

The British Army Physiotherapist Officer was on a path that looked set to make her the biggest breakthrough star of the 2022 season. A hugely impressive and dominant early victory over Anne Haug at IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote grabbed the headlines. So much impact did that make, that many had her marked down as a favourite for the IRONMAN World Championship in St George.

While Kat was clearly a contender, there were times when she was struggling to believe it herself. “I remember joking with my coach, Bjorn Geesman, I think my power meter must be wrong. I’m getting such great training value numbers, I don’t believe it.”

While it was Daniela Ryf who claimed a fifth IRONMAN title in Utah, second for Matthews was further evidence that she was the real deal.

The Sub8 supersub

The Phoenix Sub7/Sub8 Project had been much hyped for around 18 months, before injury to Lucy Charles-Barclay left her unable to start – and it was Matthews who got called up at late notice to take on the challenge. Just a month after that St George effort, fair to say that it went rather well.

If it wasn’t obvious already, Matthews was clearly one of the very best in the sport. The triathlon world was her oyster, and the biggest race of the season was still to come.

Kat Matthews Sub7Sub8 Finish
Kat Matthews claims an epic victory in a time of 7:31:54 in the Sub7Sub8 event in Germany on Sunday June 5, 2022 (Mana Studios).

And then is came crashing down

With Lanzarote, St George and Sub8 in the books, all eyes turned to the big island of Hawaii, and the second IRONMAN World Championship of the 2022 calendar year.

As we now know, that didn’t happen as Matthews’ hopes were ended when she was hit by a car on a training ride in Texas, less than two weeks before the event. Small fractures in the skull, two vertebrae, sternum and plenty of stitches were among the injuries, of what could so easily have been even worse.

Episode one ends with the haunting audio of the 911 emergency call, along with the images of her crushed bicycle from the impact. We’ll have to wait until next month for the next instalment and the inside track on what happened next.

Kat Matthews CRUSHED / PTO
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...