In March, Radka Kahlefeldt (Vodicková) astounded the athletic world by winning the IRONMAN 70.3 Davao, Philippines only 11 weeks after giving birth to baby Ruby.
If that wasn’t amazing enough, together Radka and Ruby have has continued on their winning way throughout 2018 picking up wins at IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam and Cebu, and placing 5th at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in South Africa.
Triathlon’s Czech born and Sydney based Super Mum is keen to add IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney (25 November) to her resume and is looking forward to returning to the International Regatta Centre after a second place to Ashleigh Gentle in the Nepean Triathlon several weeks ago.
Her marriage to Australian Olympian Brad Kahlefeldt in 2016, the birth of their daughter Ruby and the shift to IRONMAN 70.3 racing has changed her life and reinvigorated her career. Radka said that while laying in the delivery room on 6 January, her remarkable comeback to racing wasn’t always so clear cut.
“I think giving birth is tougher than doing a 70.3, at least in my case. Brad was there the whole time and he said he thought it was like doing two IRONMAN in a row. I thought his assessment was too soft, I thought it was more than two IRONMAN. I thought I was going to die but giving birth has made me stronger because nothing can be more painful or harder.”
“I was pretty lucky that my pregnancy allowed me to train through until I went through to the delivery room. One week before I had Ruby I did a 5km fun run. I was still able to run and do wind trainer and I did 2km easy the day I went into labour. Of course, there was no speed and everything was moderated but I didn’t become totally unfit."
“The delivery wasn’t that easy but I recovered pretty quick and I was able to sit on the bike and ride one week after giving birth and I could swim about ten days after. The longest I waited was for the run because it could have been pretty dangerous to start running too early because of the pelvic floor muscles. So I started running after six weeks.”
Radka was keen to get back to racing and despite a less than ideal preparation and juggling the role of elite athlete with that of a new mum, Radka and 11 week old baby Ruby jumped a plane and head to Phillipines for her comeback race.
“I didn’t have much time to really do much run training before the race. But I thought the Phillipines was going to be so hot that no-one could run fast anyway, so it shouldn’t matter,” she laughed.
What happened was truly amazing, Radka shocked everyone picking up the win in 4:25:38 and earning the respect of athletes and mums everywhere. Throughout the year Radka and Ruby have continued to impress on the race course and at airport lounges across the globe.
“I have done more races travelling on my own without Brad because he can’t take the time off every time that I am going. The most challenging part is organising the logistics around Ruby. I don’t know how many kilometres she has flown but I think that she thinks her home is the airport. She knows the airport lounges very well. I also have a feeling that she knows when I bring out the bike and the big bag that we are going somewhere. She starts crawling all over it and she knows we are travelling again. It is good fun.”
With the International Regatta Centre only a relatively short drive from the Kahlefeldt clan’s Sydney base, racing at IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney should be a logistical piece of cake and a win in Penrith and two weeks later in IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo would be the perfect way to wrap up a magical year.
“I am doing Western Sydney one week after I race in Taiwan which will be challenging but I have to do Western Sydney because it is kind of my home race because we are living just outside of Sydney.”
“IRONMAN 70.3 Taupo in New Zealand will be my last race of the year. I have never been to Taupo and I have heard it is a beautiful place so I am taking Brad and Ruby over. We will end the season there and then have a look around a little bit, so I am looking forward to that. I think Ruby will be walking by then, so it will be busy.”
“This year has been the best year ever from normal life because we had baby Ruby, but also from the point of my whole career. I didn’t really expect anything from this year I just wanted to race because I love triathlon. I didn’t want it to be at the end of my career because I had Ruby. I just wanted to be back racing but not too seriously and I just wanted to see how I would go. It ended up being the best season for me, so it has been amazing,” Radka said.
FEMALE PRO:
20 Radka Kahlefeldt AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
21 Laura Dennis AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
22 Jenny Fletcher CAN (CANADA) FEMALE
23 Jessica Mitchell AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
24 Hannah Wells NZL (NEW ZEALAND) FEMALE
25 Julie Stephan FRA (FRANCE) FEMALE
26 Laura Brown AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
28 Manami Lijima GUM (GUAM) FEMALE
29 Renee Kiley AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
30 Maria Luz Poblete CHL (CHILE) FEMALE
31 Kierra Sansome AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
32 Grace Thek AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
33 Kelsey Withrow AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE
34 Holly Khan AUS (AUSTRALIA) FEMALE