Three years after suffering horrific injuries when hit by a car on a training ride, Aussie triathlete Tilly Offord finally made her long-awaited return to racing last weekend – and fittingly took first place on what was an emotional afternoon in New South Wales.
Cheered on by her army of family and supporters, the one-time Olympic hopeful was the first woman across the line at the Husky Triathlon Festival, as she marked her incredible comeback with a performance that offers so much promise for her future career.
Offord was being touted as a potential member of the 2024 Paris Olympics squad when she was hit by a car on February 19, 2023; it was a crash that was to change the course of her life, as she was left with significant head injuries, a broken jaw, a smashed pelvis and severe damage to her quadriceps, while she also broke most of her toes and fingers.
Long road back to fitness
Lucky to be alive, Tilly needed seven immediate surgeries while in hospital and has since seen that number rise to 13 as her team of doctors, therapists, specialists and surgeons battled to put her battered and bruised body back together.
So serious was her condition that not only did she need to learn how to walk again, but she also needed four full months of complete bed rest and, due to her post-concussion syndrome, was told to avoid lengthy spells of concentration, screen time and social interaction. She was also on crutches for four months.
As she explained in a recent interview with World Triathlon: “The physical side has actually been the easiest part. The mental side, from the perspective of patience and having no control whatsoever over the healing timeline, has been the most difficult component.”
Her win at the weekend was documented on her own Instagram page, with a truly emotional video that showed her crossing the line in triumph before being greeted by her delighted family.
‘This one feels pretty special’
The words: “WE DID IT! 🥹🥹 This one feels pretty special”, said just about enough to explain how this remarkable athlete was feeling; the end of three torrid years of recovery was finally over as she celebrated her return in the best possible way.
Her posts over the weekend have been ‘liked’ by more than 11,000 followers, while she has also had messages of support from fellow athletes Jess Fullagar and Emma Jeffcoat.
Backed by the New South Wales Institute of Sport throughout her recovery, she is now looking to race at future WTCS World Cup events later this year, and who knows, may even make it back into contention for a place at the LA28 Olympics.
“The goal for this year is to race, enjoy it, have fun, and just get back into the rhythm of swim-bike-run consistently and injury-free,” she told World Triathlon. “But like any elite athlete, I’m competitive, and I want to win, and I want to be up there with the best of them. So it’s balancing those expectations with the injury expectations.
Hat in the ring for LA28
“This year is also about working through PTSD and a fear of having another bike accident and coming down in a pack. So I think that’s also something that this year is really important for. It’s just getting that confidence back and enjoying bike-riding because it’s definitely a love-hate relationship at the moment.
“And then moving into next year, there’s a performance focus. I have zero points on my World Triathlon profile. So there’s accruing some points and also asserting myself as one of the strongest Aussies again, so I can have my hat in the ring for LA.”
And, if there is one athlete who truly deserves their shot at the Olympics, then it must surely be Tilly Offord.
