EDMONTON – The City of Champions will be hosting the 2013 International Triathlon Union World Cup Race June 22-23.
The international event will take place at Hawrelak Park over the weekend.
However, Edmonton’s favourite triathlete, and former Global News Athlete of the Week, will not be competing in the Women’s elite event.
“I’m OK with it. Although I’d love to be racing, it’s not the right time,” says Paula Findlay.
Twenty-four year old Findlay is trying to come back from a hip injury and a difficult time in her career.
“It was a really rough go for the couple of years before the Olympics, and I really needed a fresh change and someone to kind of build me back up to where I used to be. It’s good, it’s a different approach to training than I’m used to, and a different group.”
Findlay’s been training with a new group of elite athletes who have been travelling internationally to train together.
Two years ago, Findlay celebrated a number of successes. She captured the first three events on the International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) World Championship series.
However, the same summer, a hip injury prevented her from competing in an ITU World Cup race in her hometown.
“I was ranked number one in the world coming back to race in Edmonton and had this hip injury start just a week before the race, so it was just a total shock,” she recalls. “I was expected to race. I was faster and fitter than I had ever been in my life, so that was disappointing.”
In 2012, the hip problem didn’t subside, and Findlay finished last at the London Summer Olympic Games.
“I thought after the Olympics, it would all kind of go away, and it certainly hasn’t,” she admits. “I still think about it almost every day. It was such a big part of my life, just the amount of energy and investment that goes into getting there, and then to have such a disappointing result, and then the after effects of that, and all the media attention, it really is a lot.”
After that, Findlay took a break, and made some resolutions.
“After the Olympics, I kind of packed up my stuff, and decided to change my environment, and get a new coach, and move back home. So I’m not training out of Victoria anymore, I’m based in Edmonton, but I’ve been away most of the year in warmer climates.”
Recently, Findlay’s been training back home in Edmonton. It’s all part of a process designed to return the local triathlete to World Championship and Olympic form.
“This whole season has really been about getting healthy and returning to be a strong athlete that’s able to withstand the training that we have to do, because that’s what it will take to get to Rio: healthy and strong.”
Findlay still hopes to compete in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
In the meantime, Findlay is serving as an ambassador for the sport and the ITU race in Edmonton.
“I’m really happy to promote the event…I definitely want to make a presence and be seen because I do really support it and the amount of work that’s gone into it and making this a big event for Edmonton is incredible.”
And, in 2014, she plans to be back in the mix, racing in her hometown once again.
“Next year is the World Championship Final in Edmonton in September, so that’s going to be the most important thing to be healthy for for me,” Findlay says.
With files from John Sexsmith
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