"I don't have full confidence in my body, the 28-year-old says, two weeks out from an unprecedented challenge in her esteemed career. But that's OK, because I have learned that there are a hundred ways to get the same outcome, and we're just going a different route to normal. Much has changed for the hyper-competitive Kennedy since the Paris Games 13 months ago. Physically, her left hamstring has been surgically repaired."
"Kennedy had been struggling with repeated strains in her left quad, including three within six weeks at the start of the year. Her surgeon told her the choice was either step back from training for 12 weeks but with no promise the repeated injuries would stop or go under the knife. Honestly, the rehab took such a long time, she says. It probably took three to four months, so I've only really been training properly for four weeks."
Nina Kennedy is Australia's only reigning Olympic athletics champion and the world's top female pole vaulter, scheduled to defend her 2023 world title in Tokyo. She recently underwent surgical repair of a left hamstring after repeated left quad strains and spent weeks on crutches. The rehabilitation took three to four months, leaving her with only about four weeks of full training. Kennedy will enter the world championships without any competitive warm-ups, having chosen surgery over a 12-week training hiatus with uncertain results. She maintains determination despite reduced confidence in her body and adapts her preparation strategy.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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