We Made It To The Ultramarathon (and the qualifier) Just In Time Each Time

Every one of my clients walk in to my clinic (or into my online clinic) with a challenge that lights me up — not because it’s easy, but because it demands absolute precision, honesty, and respect for how the body actually works.

Recently, an ultra‑runner came to see me with an injury that threatened her qualification for a major event.

This was an incredibly impactful injury, and made even more amazing by the fact that she still had the ability to compensate in her body (more on this another day)

This was a whole‑body situation — the kind that forces me to zoom out, settle that sucker down, deload the irritated area, and reload the entire chain.

What We Found

During her assessment, we uncovered multiple weak links.Not in a “you’re broken” way — but in a “your body is coping by using multiple different strategies to get through and there aren't many strategies left” way.

So we used my favourite approach:

The Whole Body and Whole Organism Approach

Let the body choose. We worked out what needed to be shifted first. At. Every. Single. Session.  

If an exercise created an immediate shift, we kept it.

If it didn’t — gone. No fluff. No guesswork. No wasting time.

Two Moments That Made Me Cry

One -

As race day approached, she asked me:

“Can I dedicate 1km of the race to you? Which km do you want?”

I didn’t even pause.

“Give me the dirtiest, hardest, muddiest, gruntiest part of the track.” 

Because that’s the work I’m here for — the gritty, real, unfiltered part of the journey (and life) where resilience is built.

Two: this beautiful post she made. I didn't cry much. Just every time I read it.

Race Day

Mid‑race, her Achilles started to flare.

But instead of panicking, she shifted her focus to her diaphragm — something we had practiced. And the pain settled. Maybe. It was honestly a long race and maybe it just gave her something else to think about.  I am taking it as a win.

(Plus she was saying "thank fucking god I did all those calf raises and squats and foot things and diaphragm things" which may mean the rehab could have helped)

That’s the power of understanding your body as a system, not a collection of isolated parts.

Why I’m Sharing This

Because whether you’re an athlete, a farmer, a parent, or someone just trying to get through the week without pain…

Your body is talking to you.

And when you learn to listen, everything changes

About Me

I’m Storm — physiotherapist since 2002, farmer, and someone who is deeply committed to getting you the results you need in a way that fits real rural life.

If you want support that respects your lifestyle, your workload, and your goals, you can book with me at this link.