Page 9 - PR Mag Sep19

is Back

“

Just seek help and speak

out. You don’t have to do it
alone. There are thousands
of others out there like you
and I who have suffered and

are currently suffering. If I

hobbled for about a mile in agony. I suffered stomach cramping can do it, so can you! “
and ran crippled over (my right side shut down) for about three
and a half kilometres. I was crying in pain but I didn’t stop! It was a
big one for me, it was the one year anniversary for my admission
to the mental ward, so I really wanted to prove it to myself and
finish that race. I was visiting family in Victoria when I received an
email from Triathlon Australia that I had made the team!

So what’s next?
For the World Championships I’ll be competing in Switzerland!!
I took 8 weeks off from running due to an injury, but I still swam
& cycled. I haven’t had a day off training since the end of April. I
leave on the 25th of August and I’ll be there for nine days. We’ll
be swimming in Lake Geneva, the bike is a steep, hilly course, and
then a 5km flat run.
What are you hoping to achieve in this race?
My main goal is just to finish. I’m hoping to get in the top 20 of
my age group, who are the best in the world (60 competitors).
My future plan going forward, is to qualify for the World
Championships in Canada in 2020 and to become a X2 World
Champion on the same weekend. In 2021 I’d like to chase my goal
of being selected onto the Australian team for the Commonwealth
Games in Birmingham.

What advice would you give to others struggling with mental
health issues?
Just seek help and speak out. You don’t have to do it alone. There
are thousands of others out there like you and I who have suffered
and are currently suffering. If I can do it, so can you!

Zack’s Gofundme: https://bit.ly/33LjQFh
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

September 2019 www.pineriversqld.com.au 9