Hip Dyplasia
2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim
112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride
26.22-mile run (42.20 km)
In that order!
You all must be thinking, what? How is that possible?
Well, it is and let me tell you about this amazing goal and an amazing guy from Denmark. This future Ironman’s name is Morten.
He had a very long and difficult road to heal from a hip surgery called a PAO. What does this alphabet soup mean? Basically, for us FAI hippies, we have too much bone on our femoral head (ball) or acetabulum (socket). For someone with hip dysplasia there is basically not enough bone surrounding the femoral head (ball). Hip dysplasia patients also have a socket that is very shallow. A PAO stands for periacetabular osteotomy. Now say that three times without getting tongue tied!
So, with a PAO, a patient basically has their pelvis cut, re-positioned and then screwed back together. It is a very long recovery! Very long. With his surgery came hope, strength, bravery and a dream!
Morten first began noticing his hip pain in 2014 when he was traveling in Asia with the Danish Badminton Inspiration Team. He returned home after the trip assuming he had a pulled muscle. After he returned home about 2 ½ months later, he started working with his physiotherapist who believed he had cam and pincer impingement (FAI).
Nope! That was not the full story. After x-rays were done, he was told he had not one, but count them, two hips with dysplasia. Fortunately, only one of the hips was symptomatic. He was scheduled for a Ganz PAO with Keld Søballe and ended up with some extra hardware – 3 screws and a nice sized scar totaling 12 cm. Morten had to listen to the clickity clack of crutches for two months and had about 8 months of hard rehab. Rehab that can make even an Ironman cry. Just biking for 2 minutes was torture.
He also had a knee injury which was fixed with surgery during that time– a meniscal surgery of his left knee.
Morten continued making his forward progress, literally one painful step at a time.
During his rehab, he reflected on his previous active life which included playing badminton for 5-6 days a week, strength training 2-3 times per week and playing in tournaments most
weekends. He recalled his high school teacher doing the Ironman and thinking how cool it would be to be in that club one day. He also had a great example of Kristian Høgenhaug, a professional Ironman, who he knew personally.
Morten continued making progress and, at about 6-7 months post op, he returned to the badminton court then began participating in matches and tournaments at about 7-8 months after this extremely difficult surgery. He then set his sights on a half marathon which he completed in 2018. He then turned his focus to a much more intense goal – that of the Ironman. With Fort Minor’s music in his ears –
You ready!? Let’s go!
This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Fifty percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!
Morten will compete in the Ironman in August 2019 – Copenhagen, Denmark!
His Recipe for hope and success is this:
Believe in yourself.
Believe that the human body is amazing in its ability to heal.
Believe that, with the right mindset and hard work, anything is possible!
Believe that if you can dream it, you can do it!
Mobilize and activate those muscles - hard work after surgery – push yourself.
Try yoga for flexibility!
Make sure that you use strength training post-op as soon as you are cleared!
On August 18, 2019, wherever, you are in your hip journey, whatever country you live in, please send your encouragement, positivity, congratulations and the “You’ve got this, Morten” message to his Instagram:
Thank him for the hope that he gives all of us hippies!