M35 Aussie star learns the downside of high-level masters track

Darrin Norwood in The Queensland Times.

M35 multi-eventer Darrin Norwood is Queensland Masters Athlete of the Year, and he has the scars to prove it. As we learn from his local paper, Darrin, an experienced personal trainer, “reflected on his major scare” at the recent Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in the Cook Islands, where he won five gold medals and a silver. “Norwood set an Oceania record of 14.33m in the shotput, just missed a new international standard in attempting 1.75m in the high jump and achieved a personal best 43.59m throw in the discus.” we learn. “His silver came in the javelin where he broke the Oceania record on his first throw. However, his campaign came to a sudden halt when Norwood pulled up in agony with one event left in the outdoor pentathlon while also contesting the long jump. ‘As I took off (in the long jump) I felt something pop high in my femur and I hit the ground,’ Norwood said. ‘I thought I dislocated my hip straight away.’ Being in excruciating pain and after seeking attention at the first-aid tent, Norwood went to hospital for X-rays. He was cleared of any bone damage or dislocation, being told he had a few torn muscles. However, on his flight home the next night, Norwood felt even more pain.”

The yarn continues:

He went straight to hospital to be informed he had internal bleeding in his stomach.

“From that, he (the doctor) said ‘you were very lucky not to pick up any blood clot while flying’,” the sporting allrounder said.

“They put me in hospital for a couple of days just to make sure that everything stopped bleeding.”
Norwood was waiting to get MRI scans to determine the extent of the tear.

With the world championships in Perth next year, Norwood is keen to continue training and competing.
However, he’s wisely taking it easy for the next week or so at least to let his left hip and groin recover.

Norwood was unable to complete the weights pentathlon, where he was going for a record, and the triple jump at the Oceania titles.

Norwood has been national masters champion for the past few years where he regularly competed in 20 or more events over three or four days.

The Ipswich and District Athletic Club representative was named Queensland Masters Athlete of the Year.

However, he’s relieved to be at home recovering.

“This one sort of just crept up a bit,” he said, having successfully managed many previous injuries.

We’ve all been there, Darrin. It’s always wise to pull back when you get that certain feeling. But your masters career is measured in decades.

Keep yourself fit for the long run.