Running a marathon takes serious preparation both physically and mentally and that can take a serious toll on the body.
Much of the marathon also involves pushing through the wall, a physical and mental pain barrier.
And no one knows more about pushing through pain to finish a marathon than former Olympian Brianna Throssell.
The 2020 Olympic gold medallist in the pool decided to take up running to fill all the free time she had after her retirement from swimming in 2024.
Like most elite athletes, it didn’t take Throssell long to become obssesed with another hobby, as she aimed to complete the Gold Coast marathon.
But that came at a physical cost to the Olympian, whose body had broken down under the pressure of running that it was not used to, as she suffered a fracture to 40 per cent of her femur.
Olympic gold medallist Brianna Throssell suffered a broekn leg while completing the Gold Coast marathon
Throssell took up running after she retired from swimming in 2024
An MRI revealed she had fractured 40 percent of her femur after what she thought would be a hip impingement
The pain initially started out as a niggle, something she was able to work through as she completed the marathon.
It became a persistent ache for Throssell, so she decided to get it checked out.
She decided to get an MRI for what she assumed would have been a hip impingement, then came the real news.
‘You need to go to your local chemist right now and get yourself a set of crutches, you are non-weight bearing for six weeks (they said) because I had fractured 40 per cent of my femur,’ she told PerthNow.
‘I was so shocked to have that result, I associated fracture with a lot of pain whereas I wasn’t in that much pain.
‘I was still getting about my day, with a little bit of an achy feeling, but I just thought a fracture would be very, very painful.’
Throssell had spent her entire elite competitive career, the 5am wake-ups, the eight hour training sessions, without suffering any sort of major injury.
And yet it was in this moment, after her retirement that she had suffered an injury that has stopped her in her tracks since completing the marathon.
To make matters more frustrating for Throssell is that the leg break was suffered just six weeks before her wedding.
Six months on, and she still hasn’t been able to return to running as she rehabs and recovers from the fracture.
Throssell is still undergoing rehab and treatment for her broken leg after finding out she has osteopenia
‘It is like a blessing in disguise,’ she says.
‘I’ve learned that I probably need to just slow down a little bit more and have more rest days, and listen to my body that little bit. I love pushing my body to the limits, that’s what I did, and that’s what I knew for 12 years of my life.’
And just two weeks ago, Throssell had her third MRI as she continues her recovery efforts.
‘Tomorrow I head in for MRI number three,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘What I thought would be a short setback has now been going on for almost five months.
‘If there’s one thing this injury has taught me, it’s that healing isn’t something you can compare. I’ve caught myself looking at other people’s recoveries and wondering why mine hasn’t looked the same, but everyone’s body, injury and timeline is different.
‘Along the way I’ve also discovered I have osteopenia, which has helped explain why things have taken a little longer than expected.’
Being unable to run, hasn’t stopped the former Olympic gold medallist from remaining active.
She is back in the pool, a place that she called home for so long and a place that her body missed according to Throssell.
‘I think my body loves to swim. It’s all it knew for almost 12 years of my life, so my body very much enjoyed being back in the pool,’ she said.
Speaking of finishing the marathon, she said, ‘it was a relief.’
‘But reflecting back now, I’m actually just so much more proud – probably than what I was in the moment. I think it takes a lot to get to that start line.’
