Get a good spot to the side of the starting line, then swim as fast as you can, because it’s not so nice being kicked in the face and emerging from the water all bloodied.
That’s the gameplan for seasoned triathlete Andrea Hansen (née Hewitt) as she prepares for her fourth Commonwealth Games. The three-time Olympian knows there are two spots where the race can be won or lost – the start of the swim, and the run. She’ll have about an hour to prove her worth before the race is all over.
And yes, she’s had numerous accidental kicks to the face over the years, but thankfully no black eyes.
“It’s important to get a good start, and be in front because it’s a fight to be around the back of the bunch. You go as fast as you can,” she said.
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Getting a good start in the swim is vital for Andrea Hansen (centre)
“It’s different to a swimming race. In a pool, you’re in your own lane and pace. In triathlon, it’s about getting out fast, going around the buoys fast and trying to get away from people who are trying to swim on top of you.”
The cold water can be a shock, and she’ll be swimming in a freezing lake in the middle of Birmingham on July 29, but thankfully, she said, she’ll be in a wetsuit to keep warm during the 750m swim.
Then, it’s the transition to the bike. It’s like a choreographed dance, taking off and putting on gear, making sure everything is stashed away nicely otherwise a penalty could ensue. She’ll be riding with others across the 20km course, making the most of drafting.
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Then comes the 16 minute 5km near-sprint to the finish. It’s her strongest element, but she doesn’t intend on running anyone down.
“Sometimes it’s hard to come from behind. I prefer leading. I’d rather be chased!” she laughed.
“Being out in front is always an advantage for me.”
At the finish line in Birmingham will be her 16-month-old “mini-me” Flossie (Florence Andrea) and husband Ollie.
It’s the first big overseas trip for the family who are on their way to Leeds this week for a race, then Spain and Hamburg before the games.
Being pregnant is never easy – especially if you’re trying to train on a bike with an ever-growing belly – but Hansen trained almost to the very end. Then three weeks before Flossie arrived, Hansen broke her arm. She convinced doctors to remove her cast just before Flossie was born. She’s all ok now, she reassures.
After Flossie’s six-day delay, delivered smoothly, Hansen eased back into training under the tutelage of coach and doctor John Hellemans.
It wasn’t about going fast out of the starting blocks, rather about listening to her body and pushing hard when the time was right. Flossie now joins her on runs on the rolling hills and expansive plains in Canterbury. Having a baby shouldn’t spell the end of an elite athlete’s career.
Her favourite place to run is in the forests and trails that are scattered around Christchurch – it’s easier on the joints and muscles – and recommends anyone who is thinking about getting into running to give it a go. Start off slow and to run with friends. It makes time go quicker, she said.
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Transitions are like a choreographed dance for triathlete Andrea Hansen.
One of the biggest challenges at the Commonwealth Games however, won’t be the race itself, rather the constant reminder of the grief that still stays with her. In 2015 her fiancé Laurent Vidal died suddenly of cardiac arrest, aged 31. He was a powerhouse on the global triathlon scene.
In the wake of his death, she put her head down and focused on the Rio Olympic Games. Having something to aim for helped a lot. So did the abundance of support she received from friends, family and counterparts.
“He inspired a lot of athletes, and people still come up to me and tell me. We listen and talk about him as well,” she said.
“The grief is always there. It’s just time you do have to move on. You have to keep going.”
Hansen has kept going, and she’s in a good place, ready to take on the world. She’s hoping for her best result yet, and improve on her two bronze medals – one at the 2006 Melbourne Games, and another with the team event in Gold Coast in 2018.
Following the games, she’s having a two-week holiday before considering what is next – she’ll see how the body is holding up – she’s taking it race by race. After all, she is 40 now (“You don’t have to write that part!”).
“It’s been 17 years. To still be here is pretty cool.”
