TIM BREWSTER

"Hitting the wall,” after nine years of top end endurance racing was a seriously low point for Wanaka’s Floortje Grimmett.

"Feeling the signs of over-training etc, being scared, not to be able to exercise again as you are so exhausted, no energy, immunity low.” Her description of last year’s slump might surprise anyone who witnessed her mashing the pedals down last weekend. As the first woman across the line and 11th overall in a time of 7.31 in the 160km Centurion MTB event of the Contact Epic, she has shown her class as an athlete after a remarkable comeback.

Originally from Holland, Floortje immigrated in 2000 to live permanently in Wanaka, marrying Darren who manages Outside Sports (useful for the never ending equipment requirements for multisport) and becoming the mother of Ella and Liam.

She had competed in athletics as a youth in her home country, but only started competing seriously here ten years ago. [I have a] "big passion for the rugged back country in New Zealand. I like to achieve, pushing limits for myself and also together with my teammates and not knowing what's around the corner.”

In the summer of 2015 she had been on a high after her team Tiki Tour had placed third in the Godzone event and the experience had given them the belief in themselves to compete against the world’s best. "We had huge confidence after that,” she said.

Floortje Grimmett was the first woman across the line in the Contact Epic Centurion event last weekend.

An insight into the world of adventure racing at that level was her recollection of having a few hours sleep on the Pisa Range as a snowstorm halted night travel. "My bike pants were frozen onto the ground; I had to peel them off to put them on.”

Determined to keep her fitness up after that race, and despite advice to the contrary about her early warning signs of the stress of overtraining, Floortje entered in the ironically named "Ultra Easy,” a 100km mountain run over Mt Roy and the Pisa Range. It was in the midst of that gruelling event she realised that while she "absolutely loved” endurance racing, her body was shutting down and she needed rest.

But for the relentless competitor that she is, overtraining and a thyroid condition simply became another teachable moment she was determined to overcome. A year later after her worst experience in sport (well, eight months of rest to be precise), the mother of two who celebrates her 40th this weekend - "I won’t be an Open women anymore” - had her highest point ever with her team Tiki tour winning the Godzone 2017 in February by a large margin. "It was the best feeling ever. It's absolutely about being in a good team. There’s no ego.”

Her Tiki Tour team mates from Queenstown, Mike Kelly, and brothers Tom and George Lucas are now looking for sponsors to assist them to compete in the World Adventure Racing championships in Wyoming, USA, in August.

Godzone was followed with a second place in the two day Red Bull Defiance sports category with a new training partner, Cardrona Valley farmer Hamish Mackay.

"Floortje is probably the most dedicated trainer I have ever met,” Hamish said. "There are countless hours that go into gaining the fitness levels needed to succeed as she has. Probably the one thing that sets her apart from most is mental toughness and the ability to get through the toughest of physical situations.”

The two feel they have "unfinished business” in the Red Bull event, Floortje said, after being overtaken in the last leg of this year’s event to leave them in second place. She now feels she is training and competing smarter after her setback. She’s also grateful for strong support and mentorship from fellow Wanaka multisporter Jo Williams. Jo is also heading to the world championships competing with team Seagate who are the current world champions.

With both Wanaka women entering the World Adventure Racing championships with formidable reputations as competitors focussed only on the finish line, the race will generate a lot of local interest.

PHOTO: LMS Events