Cycling: Cheatley aims to get back on the bike

Cath Cheatley suffered multiple hip fractures last month, but the injury is not enough to put the cycling champion off the sport she loves. Photo / APN

New Zealand cycling champion Cath Cheatley returned home to Wanganui this week to begin the long road to recovery after a serious racing accident nearly a month ago.

BikeNZ's top-ranked road rider faces a long road to recovery after a series of surgeries but still has a passion to return to the sport she loves.

The 28-year-old professional knows it will be slow progress after suffering multiple fractures of her hip following a crash in the Round The Mountain Cycle race in Taranaki on October 1.

"I love cycling. I love racing. It has given me a good fright as well as a greater appreciation for the smaller things in life you take for granted. But I want to ride again,'' Cheatley said.

"It scares me thinking about racing right now but it's early days. I am pretty competitive and I've been riding a long time and racing is what I love the most. In a few months' time we will see but right now I am just taking each day as it comes.''

Cheatley was taken initially to Taranaki Base Hospital where she was placed in traction and three days later moved to Middlemore Hospital where she underwent two further surgical procedures and spent two weeks in hospital.

"My acetabulum was shattered as well as the top of the hip,'' she said. "It was all displaced. The first surgery in New Plymouth was to insert pins in the top of the femur and put the leg in traction to release the pressure on the hip joint. That was pretty awful, to tell the truth.

"The big surgery in Middlemore was to put the hip joint and the top of the hip back together using screws and pins. It was a long surgery _ a bit like a long day in the saddle. And a few days later I had a small operation just to tweak one of the screws so that it was perfect.

"My surgeon and the team there was just brilliant, quite awesome. I was very fortunate to be in such good hands.''

Cheatley said the injuries were different to her crash earlier in the year in US which did not require surgery.

"It was not near the fracture in June. To be fair that was like a broken finger nail compared to this. Guess it's been one of those years you put down to character building.''

Cheatley knows it will be a long road and is not rushing her recovery.

"It is slow going and frustrating at times but I am going to do everything right so I have the best chance of making a full recovery. I can't put any weight on the leg for six weeks and I use a wheelchair and crutches for mobility.''

Cheatley said she has been buoyed by the overwhelming number of messages of support from throughout New Zealand and around the world.

"It's been incredible and humbling and I feel very lucky to have such great support.''