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    'I started seeing the deeper reason I was doing this sport. Races will come and go, but health is for life'

    on February 18, 2021

    IRRESPECTIVE of your age, circumstances or activity level, events of the last year have affected everyone on some level. 

    In this honest article, CurraNZ triathlete Sophie Johnson shares the events that have forever changed her attitude to physical and mental health during Covid.

    If you're looking for a little inspiration this weekend, then don't miss Sophie's story.

    'I started seeing the deeper reason I was doing this sport. Trust me, exercise is 100% the best way to feel better'

    Sophie writes: 

    "Being totally honest, initially with Covid lockdown, I had a massive lull in motivation.

    I'm an incredibly goal-orientated person and a massive extrovert... so without races for goals and people to train with, I was a bit lost.

    Initially I decided I'd train whatever I felt like doing the most. So first of all I jumped into running, then swimming when I could. Then, with my partner moving in with me, I got hooked on joint Zwift sessions. However, with time this didn't last and my training hit a low.

    It was at this time I found out a friend of mine (and fellow triathlete and extrovert) had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

    For her, her sport, fitness and lifestyle took on new meaning, not only did she feel lucky to have these things to maintain her mental health throughout the lead-up to her operation, she could attribute her fast recovery and subsequent early release from hospital care to her fitness.

    At the same time, selfishly, I thought about my own incident earlier in the year and how I’d been so scared to find a lump. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing and how pleased I was to be taking Curranz, eating well and exercising, giving me all the best chances if the news hadn’t been so great.

    From there on in, I started to see the real reason everywhere; the deeper reason I was doing this sport. 

    I do this for my mental health - I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety and I can tell you exercise is the 100% drug-free way to feel much much better.

    Depression hates action, sport is action, the hardest part is getting going.

    I do this for my physical health. If I ever face a battle with illness, I’ll hopefully be ready to kick ass, as my friend did.

    I do this for my longevity and freedom - as I look around, especially now when Coronavirus threatens the lives of so many of the elderly population, I only see more reasons to carry on doing sport as long as I physically can.

    I’m building strong foundations for my future, I aim to pop a weighted squat at 80! We’re living longer than ever before, I don’t want those final years to be slow and boring... it's just not my style. 

    So as I look to those around me to draw inspiration; Vernon at my club is still nailing triathlon in his 70s, and Marsha, who’s coming back stronger than ever after a mastectomy… I know I don't need to look too far.

    My sport has taken on a deeper meaning throughout this challenge, races will come, go, be cancelled, but my health and wellbeing are for life."

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