Craig Stewart in action during the Mount Half Ironman in January 2020. Photo / Supplied
Craig Stewart in action during the Mount Half Ironman in January 2020. Photo / Supplied
Two years ago Tauranga’s Craig Stewart woke up in a full head and neck brace, with a broken back, and facing a long recovery.
Today he’ll join more than 2000 athletes at the start line of Ironman New Zealand in Taupō to swim 3.8km, bike 180km then run 42.2km.
OnDecember 29, 2020, Stewart was on a morning bike ride. He was not far from home when a car pulled out of a side road and in front of him.
“The driver said they didn’t see me because they were adjusting their seat as they pulled out. I hit the front of the car at somewhere between 35 and 40km/h and my face smashed into the windscreen as I went flying over the bonnet.”
The 43-year-old health and safety manager suffered horrific injuries, including broken vertebrae and ankle, a blown knee ligament, smashed teeth and suffered a severe concussion.
He woke up in a full head and neck brace with doctors still unsure if he had a brain bleed or if he had fractured his skull.
Craig Stewart in the hospital the day of the accident. Photo / Supplied
Stewart has no recollection of the incident but was able to piece it together after the police officer who attended the crash visited him in hospital and returned the half of his tooth that had been lodged in the car’s windscreen.
The recovery took time, most notably a concussion that lingered for five or six months before clearing up.
“Two or three months later [after the crash] I was thinking I’m right but it’s like when you’re drunk and your judgement is impaired - you think you’re alright but really you’re not.
“Then you look back a month later and say what was I thinking? I’ve improved so much since then. I should have been taking things really easy but I thought I was okay.”
Stewart said his wife, Laura, and their two children were great through the recovery but it was hardest for Laura because she received the phone call from the hospital saying “‘Craig’s in hospital, he’s been in a bike accident and you need to get here now’ and that’s all they could really tell her.
“That was horrible for her to deal with. That was an awful call for her to get but she and the kids have been fantastic in supporting me through the recovery and now.”
The incident wasn’t enough to keep Stewart away from the sport he loves. He has competed in around a dozen half Ironmans and completed one full Ironman in Port Macquarie, Australia in 2016.
He said the triathlon community was “a great bunch of people with a common interest to push and support each other” and he enjoyed the challenge of piecing things together.
“You’ve got to get yourself fit, firstly in all three disciplines, then fit to go from one to the next and also get your pacing and nutrition right. That’s everything on the day but getting your training right, thinking about the gear and all of that – there are so many pieces to the puzzle.
“The real challenge is balancing everything throughout your training to turn up on race day ready - that’s the part I enjoy the most. You never get it perfect, there are always things to work on and improve.”
His goal for Ironman New Zealand is to go faster than he did in 2016 — 10 hours and 52 minutes.
“I think fitness-wise I’m in as good a place as I was then but I’m probably six years wiser than I was. I like to think I’m not going to make any stupid errors but we’ll see. With a race like that, if the weather conditions are not in our favour you can forget about doing a fast time.”
Asked whether he was nervous to hop back on his bike again, Stewart said he had ridden for years but was “a lot more aware” of motorists.
He wants to see further investment into road safety infrastructure for cyclists.
“I know the city council is taking steps to improve that with a lot of their planning and work is in progress. I think the infrastructure needs to be improved and whether that’s bike lanes or bike paths, that’s a positive step.
“Linking the main areas of Tauranga with connected or protected paths would be an amazing step.
“Motorists and cyclists both have a part to play, otherwise, plenty more people will get hurt.”
The 2022 Ironman New Zealand and Ironman 70.3 New Zealand event has sold out. Ironman 70.3 athletes will swim 1.9km, bike 90km, and run 21.1km. A fun run for children aged 5 to 13 took place yesterday.
Kiwi athlete Braden Currie in the 2019 event. Photo / Laurilee McMichael
Postponed from its usual date in March to this month due to Covid-19 restrictions earlier this year, Saturday’s event marks the first time international athletes can take part since 2020.
Race director Wayne Reardon said the team was “excited” to welcome back athletes and supporters for the 38th Ironman New Zealand.
“The 2022 event has been a long time coming for our domestic athletes, and even longer for our international whānau, so I have no doubt that the whole town will be a hive of excitement this week,” Reardon said.
“Ironman New Zealand is a bucket-list event for triathletes all over the world, known for its outstanding landscapes, rich culture, and unrivalled community support.”
Taupō mayor David Trewavas said locals turned out “in droves” to support the event and he wished competitors “all the best”.
