We always love to hear your stories about how GO TRI has made a difference in your lives. We want to shout about your successes and triumphs.
Here Rachel shares her story and we think you will agree that she has gone through a lot and has used GO TRI to focus her energy on recovery after major surgery.
Rachel took part in her first GO TRI aquathlon in 2017 after using swimming and running as post-operative exercise since two major operations for Crohn’s Disease.
“I’ve always been relatively fit and enjoyed exercising. After two major operations for Crohn’s Disease which ended up with me needing a stoma bag, I started to gain weight from the medication I was taking and became determined to lose the weight.
“I had to adapt how I stayed fit as I was recovering from major surgery and in a longer term as I had developed a hernia during the first operation which meant that I had to be careful with some abdominal exercises and weights to prevent another one forming.
“During my post-operative recovery, I started jogging. This lead to me jogging 5k every week and I also started to swim more than I had before. It meant that I managed to build up my stamina and fitness without putting too much pressure of the hernia and wound. Swimming provided me with a full body workout whilst supporting the body enough without pressure.
“I wanted to sign up for an event which would provide me with motivation. This is when I discovered GO TRI. I found a local event near me and I quickly registered to enter. I opted for an aquathlon as it combined the two disciplines which I had been doing during my recovery. I hadn’t found anything else that just focused on swimming and running, so I was thrilled.
“Participating in a GO TRI was a huge achievement for me. events are a real mix of disciplines so there is something for everyone. I’m looking forward to taking on more GO TRI challenges that are of a greater distance than my first and to improve on my time as well as showing that people with stoma bags can lead an active life.”
Inspired by Rachel’s story? Visit gotri.org to find a local GO TRI event or activity near you. Visit Crohn’s and Colitis UK to find out more about the disease, symptoms and treatments.
Want to be our next case study?
We love to hear your experiences and stories. If you have an interesting story and you want to tell us about it, drop us an e-mail at info@gotri.org and we’ll be in touch to find out more.
