TO say that competing in the 2009 Long Distance World Championships meant a lot to Leeming triathlete Caitlin Bridgland would be a bit of an understatement.
The 22-year-old, who started training for triathlons at the tender age of 14, is representing Australia for the first time this weekend – just over two years after breaking both her arms in a horrific accident.
She was riding her bicycle near Deep Water Point in 2007 when a car came out in front of her without warning.
“I was knocked off my bike and I broke both my arms and split my chin,” she said.
“The recovery took about 18 months, but I’ve been training strongly for the past year.”
Caitlin, who lists her father, Murray, as her greatest inspiration, said she trained every day of the week to maintain her fitness levels.
Her father was a competitor in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships. The world championships, which starts on Sunday at 8am, involves a 3km swim, an 80km bike ride and a 20km run.