This chapter covers events that took place on and after Sunday
August 24th.
The day was cold and bleak! I woke up just before my alarm and took
the three short steps required to reach the kitchen/dining hall and began to
prepare my pan-fried toast and hand crafted fruit for breakfast. Let me take
this time to note that my methods in the kitchen are not always conventional,
but are always supremely efficient and necessary for great taste! Again on this
occasion the result was no exception.
After breakfast I gathered my pre-packed lunchbox and gear bag and
scurried over to meet the Tri4Alps team at the lodge. We headed down the valley
to the famous Mont Blanc for the 2014 event. As we left Morzine the rain
dissipated and by the time we arrived at Lac du Passy we were greeted by warm
sunshine and picture post card views. It was great to see so many passionate
athletes and volunteers out there having fun.
Little did I know at the time, but that morning was to be the last
ray of sunshine for my 2014 campaign! I spent the afternoon hooked up to oxygen
and having my wounds tended to in the Mont Blanc Hospital after a nasty
accident. The hospital staff were very kind and not the least upset that I
struggled with the lingo. I eventually understood that I had broken my right
scapula and three ribs. From this point on there was no hesitation in nodding
my head to more tablets and a bigger spoon for the yoghurt! The TV didn’t work,
I had no internet connection and I had no capacity to be independent. Great!
Joe and Amelia Pearson from Tri4Alps were the best of help for me
when I was in hospital. Joe spent the next couple of days driving back and
fourth from Morzine to bring me clothes and company, whilst juggling his ever
busy schedule catering for the guests at the luxurious T4A lodge in Morzine.
Through Joe, I was able to report home and let them know why I had dropped off
the radar. From there we began to
organize my journey home. The insurance companies I dealt with were fantastic
and a big thanks to Triathlon Australia who take out great Travel Insurance for
us athletes. Without that, I’d be working in a sweatshop for the next twenty
years (which is arguably what I do anyway)…
I inevitably withdraw from the final event of the season with my STP
teammates in Cognac. They did a brilliant job nonetheless and we will return to
the premier division in 2015, which means mission accomplished. After returning
to my apartment in Morzine, I spent the week curled up in a ball crawling back
and fourth between the bed and the kitchen. As previously mentioned, this was
not a long way but it was far enough given the state I was in. I passed the
time by watching the entire collection of “Suits”, which practically gave me a
law degree.
I only managed to sleep every second night for the week and I soon
reviewed the rules on snacking after hours. Given the fact that my left side
had been peeled off and my right side was broken, I didn’t have too many
options but to sit there and deal with it! My prognosis was three weeks in a
sling, and three months before I would be recovered. I was ready to go home…
Mitch's Pictures:
Pretty clear what was involved...
Two nights accommodation in Mont Blanc!
Morzine from the balcony!
Morzine from the bedroom!
Assessing the damage!
Another great year in the mountains :)
Flying home with Qatar Airways over the Alps!
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