Leading Ironman Gina Ferguson has heart condition

Leading New Zealand Ironman triathlete Gina Ferguson has received news she didn’t want to hear on return to her home to Christchurch after withdrawing at Challenge Roth a fortnight ago, the Oxford athlete has a heart condition, one she has had since birth.

Ferguson underwent testing on return to her base in New Zealand after feeling ill during the race at Roth. The fainting spell that saw her withdraw has been put down to too much caffeine intake late in the bike but further tests were carried out that delivered a shock to the current Bonita Ironman NZ and Challenge Wanaka champion.

“While I was there the Doctor decided to do some tests to just make sure there was nothing wrong. So I did the usual blood tests and then the doctor listened to my heart. He heard a murmur so I got sent to the heart clinic for some tests and unfortunately they discovered I have a bicuspid aortic valve, which means my aortic valve is divided into 2 sections rather than 3.”

Perhaps the biggest shock to Ferguson though is that she has had this condition her entire life.

“I want to make this clear. This has been with me since before I was born (the heart is formed in the first trimester of pregnancy) and is not something that has happened over time, or from me competing in Ironman races. It is also in no way connected to what happened to me at Roth.”

While tough to see the bright side after hearing this news, Ferguson has not been told to stop racing, but she will have to listen to her body and take her foot off the pedal at times.

“Of course this has come as a shock to me. But the doctor has told me I can train and compete as usual. My heart is fine (for now anyway) and it shouldn't hold me back. I will have to change the way I train and race though. If I am sick with a cold or flu I will not be able to train or race and I will have to be much more flexible with my race schedule.”

Right now the biggest hurdle is a mental one as Ferguson goes through what anyone goes through after hearing this sort of news. Ironman champion or not, Ferguson has been rocked by the diagnosis.

“For an Ironman athlete I think there are two things you want to have when you line up for a race. One is a strong heart and the other is a strong head. Now I will have neither. I can never toe the start line again knowing that I am in perfect condition to get through the race. I now view myself in a different light. Hopefully this will change with time as I get used to the idea. I really would have preferred to have not known about this. I feel like my freedom to live my life as I choose has been taken away from me.”

For now Ferguson is not making decisions about her immediate racing future, short or long term. Her focus for the moment is on fully understanding the condition she has just been diagnosed with and learning how to live with it, let alone train and race with it.