Former local crosses fingers for spot in World Triathlon
Seymour-Smith has a love for triathlons, so much so that every event and training session since 2019 has been extra hard due to what she thought at the time was shin splints, and yet she never gave up.
Jenna Seymour-Smith (19), former Ashton College learner, recently arrived back from Egypt after competing in the 2021 Africa Triathlon Junior Cup Sharm El Sheikh junior women and 2021 Africa Triathlon Championships Sharm El Sheikh junior women and mixed relay.
She placed first in the Africa Cup, fifth in the Africa Championships and third in the mixed relay.
Seymour-Smith believes it was the toughest series she had ever been a part of, with the African Champs being the most chaotic.
“During the championships while on the bikes, four girls came flying off their bikes in the first few metres, literally one after each other,” she explained.
“From what I heard, one shattered her collar bone, one got a spinal injury, one fell on her chin and busted her lip open, it was absolutely crazy and just made me more nervous as I carried on. At the same time you’re feeling so bad for these girls who are hurt, it was just intense.”
Relays
The mixed relay included a 250m swim, 6.6km bike and 1.5km run.
“The relays are like mini-triathlons,” she said.
“I definitely felt like taking a nap halfway through,” she chuckled, “it really is tough but so rewarding to complete.”
Why triathlons?
“I was just into swimming previously, doing galas and openwater swims at a national level, which I stopped in 2018,” she said.
“I got so tired and bored of just swimming, I used to train for two hours twice a day from 5:00 to 7:00 and then again from 17:00 to 19:00.
“I always knew about triathlons as my dad was interested in them and was training to do an Iron Man when he suffered injuries due to an accident. But how I came into triathlons was one day when my dad and I were walking around the shops and we went into a bicycle shop, I decided then I wanted to start cycling.
“So my dad got me a second-hand bike and my friend Torné Jardin, who was already into triathlons at the time, invited me to start cycling with him. The first time I went I almost died. Wow, it was tough, I had never cycled before this.
“I cycled with him maybe two or three more times after that before doing my first triathlon at Red Hub in Cradle.”
That’s where the bug bit. This former Rynfield resident never looked back and began training with her new coach, Riana Robertson.
Coach
“She is amazing. I don’t know what I would do without her,” Seymour-Smith said.
“She came with me to Egypt and has been with me at every other event or championship I took part in.
“She is like my second mom, I can message her at any time of the day or night about anything, not just from a coaching aspect. She is the kind of coach who knows that not all athletes are the same and can’t be trained the same. Each of her athletes have their own training schedules made out specifically for them. She always has her athletes’ best interest at heart.”
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Injury
Seymour-Smith has a love for triathlons, so much so that every event and training session since 2019 has been extra hard due to what she thought at the time was shin splints, and yet she never gave up.
“I was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in 2019, which I am still in rehab for. I have already had four operations for it,” she explained.
“It’s hard work because at the moment it lets me down during the running segments of the triathlons.
“But I train as normal and know I have to be patient with myself.”
This syndrome is a painful and dangerous condition caused by pressure build-up from internal bleeding or swelling of tissues.
The pressure decreases blood flow, depriving muscles and nerves of required nourishment, but Seymour-Smith is being patient with herself and happy with her growth within the sport.
From 2019 and last year, her results have shown the massive improvement she has made even with her injury, and this year excelling in Egypt.
Results
• March 2019, she placed ninth at the Durban ATU Triathlon Junior African Cup.
• March 2019, she placed eighth at the RSA Triathlon National Championships.
• June 2019, she placed 12th at the Shandrani ATU Triathlon African Championships.
• February last year, she placed eighth at the Maselspoort ATU Triathlon Junior African Cup.
Seymour-Smith is awaiting news as to whether she is one of the chosen ones who will make their way to the World Triathlon on behalf of South Africa.
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