Kirsty Higgison hoping to go from moon boot to victory in Nutri-Grain ironwoman series
Kirsty Higgison is hoping to step straight out of a moon boot and onto the top of the victory dais this weekend as the fifth different winner of the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series this weekend.
It’s an ambitious plan but surf lifesaver Kirsty Higgison has her sights on stepping straight out of a moon boot and onto the top of the victory dais this weekend as the fifth different winner of the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series.
The injury-prone 25-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of the entire series with three top four finishes in five events and currently sits in third place on the overall ladder.
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But this week Higgison revealed she raced the third and fourth rounds of the series with torn ligaments after rolling her ankle in the second round at Coolum late last year.
And while it took a while for the seriousness of the injury to become known, she has been in a moon boot for the past four weeks.
“I got to take it off finally on the weekend,’’ said Higgison, who incredibly raced to a second place in the last round of the series two weeks ago.
“I rolled my ankle in a pothole at Coolum and it really hurt but I just kept racing. I did 17 race at the worlds and then the Wollongong leg of the Nutri-Grain series in December.
“It wasn’t getting any better so I got an MRI and realised I had done damage to the ligaments and there was a lot fluid on it.
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“But we kept it quiet and I came out of the boot to do Currumbin a fortnight ago. To come away with a second there, I was stoked.’’
The former Nowra junior is now based at Surfers Paradise and training alongside defending Nutri-Grain ironman champion Ali Day.
In the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series she is ranked behind Georgia Miller, who is missing the Surfers Paradise round on Saturday due to her sisters wedding, and Maddy Dunn.
The absence of Miller opens the way for both Higgison and Dunn to race into the lead ahead of the series finale at Wanda Beach in February.
Shannon Eckstein will continue his comeback from a leg injury when he lines up in the ironman alongside the likes of Day, Kendrick Louis, second on the series ladder, and Matt Poole, who is third overall.
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