FEATURE

Broken bones no barrier to competing for Ironman athlete

By Pead PR

Knocked off his training bike in November 2015, Ross Lockey thought his Ironman days would be finished as he lay immobile in hospital with a fractured neck and back.
 
But with guts and determination, first class medical attention and the encouragement of a strong support network, the 55 year-old grandfather from Auckland’s Takapuna is now back on his bike and ready for his seventh gruelling Ironman.  
 
Ross has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Unstoppable Champion’s sponsorship package ahead of the 33rdKellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand event, taking place in Taupo on 4 March.
 
Commenting on Ross’s selection, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Senior Brand Manager, Nick Cheong said, “Ross embodies everything we were looking for in this year’s Unstoppable Champion and his road to recovery is truly remarkable. His grit and sheer resolve not to let adversity triumph are what the Ironman spirit is all about.”
 
It was in hospital just hours after his “accident” that Ross discovered the severity of the damage to his body – one fractured vertebrae in his neck and four in his back. For four days he lay in a hospital bed, unable to move or walk, and unsure about what the future held.
 
Photo courtesy of Pead PR

Opting for non-surgical treatment, he had a long and painful road to recovery. Ross was locked in a halo device – a sort of head brace that keeps the spine immobile until fusion matures – for nine weeks, then transitioned to braces and finally a neck collar.
 
Ross’s mental tenacity was a key factor in his journey to recovery. The first morning with the halo on he decided to make a recovery routine rather than lying in bed feeling sorry for himself. “I got up at 6 am and took a selfie. Then I took myself to the toilet instead of lying in bed, feeling down and counting on everyone else to help me.”
 
Within two weeks of being discharged to his home, Ross was back on a training bike at his neighbour’s. Incredibly, within three months he was running again. Swimming, probably hardest on his neck, came three months after that.
 
He attributes his miraculous recovery to a range of factors.
 
“Mental attitude, my high degree of previous health and fitness and support from both the whanau and my sporting network all played major roles in getting me back on the Ironman track,” Ross says.
 
“Before the incident I was pretty fit,” he says. “I had good core strength so I could use my stomach as a lever without putting weight on my back, shoulders or right hand side. With good muscle memory I seemed to quickly bounce back.”
 
Ross says a strong mental attitude coupled with putting in the hard yards also helped him move forward. “It’s the same as competing in Ironman. Of course it’s a mental battle; but it’s also hard work and dedication.”
 
Photo courtesy of Pead PR

Now firmly back on his bike, Lockey is each week grinding out four swims, five runs and four sessions on the two-wheeler for up to 22 hours a week training depending on the season.
 
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity given me by being selected as the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Unstoppable Champion for Taupo,” he says. “I was over the moon and blown away at the support I received through the Nutri-Grain NZ Facebook page.
 
“I don’t really know how to describe the feeling; I didn’t expect the sponsorship. I’m very grateful for the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain opportunity. I know that competing with an “unstoppable” top on will help keep me running instead of walking too – it will motivate me to push through.”
 
So what drives this self-employed seafood wholesaler to succeed? “I love making my family proud and personally just want to be the best I can.”
 
Ross says there are parallels between beating adversity and succeeding in competitive sport.
 
“Try and keep a positive outlook on everything. You don’t have to look too far to see the positives in life. Look and move forward..”
 
As the 2017 Unstoppable Champion, Ross receives a support and training package from Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain.
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