Fitness Competitions Aid Caregiver in Coping with Husband’s Multiple Sclerosis

Colin McLean, husband of Leigh McLean, maintained a high level of fitness and enjoyed the gym until multiple sclerosis altered his life. Diagnosed more than ten years ago, the 57-year-old’s condition has progressed significantly since 2020, transitioning from being able to work and drive to requiring a permanent wheelchair and daily care four times a day. Leigh, his wife, informed the BBC that she has discovered an unexpected method for managing her caregiving responsibilities, which has also strengthened their bond: a fitness competition. Hyrox, an indoor fitness race involving thousands of participants in various challenges, has experienced a significant surge in popularity since its inception in Germany in 2017. Leigh, aged 51, states that pursuing a competitive objective has contributed to her maintaining an optimistic and positive outlook, which her husband, she notes, ‘feeds’ off. She explained, “When he hears I’m doing a competition, it gets him interested and it’s something for us to talk about. He will ask about my training and what I’ve been doing. He can get involved in it and be my support.” She added, “I think it would be really disrespectful for me to sit on my bum with full mobility. There is no reason I can’t achieve these things.” Hyrox events, hosted in extensive venues globally year-round, feature a demanding circuit comprising eight strength-focused exercise stations, each separated by a one-kilometre run. This past March, Leigh participated at Glasgow’s SEC, securing fifth place in the woman’s doubles category for her age group alongside her friend Wiki. The ballot for tickets for the upcoming year’s event recently commenced, and Leigh has already obtained her entry to compete once more. “We are starting to think about our training now as it’s only three months away,” she commented. A component of the experience involves competitors being cheered by thousands of spectators; however, Colin cannot attend Leigh’s competitions due to his MS. Nevertheless, Leigh notes that he feels a “sense of pride” in her, enjoys offering support, and being engaged. She stated, “He likes to hear about me achieving stuff. He likes to go and tell his pals about it.” Colin acknowledged the significant importance of exercise to Leigh. He remarked, “She is my carer I am very supportive of everything that she does. I feel that it benefits both of us mentally and physically.” Initially, when Leigh’s friend proposed participating, she was hesitant. She explained, “I didn’t think a fitness competition was for me. It was the self-doubt that most people have. As you get older you tend not to push yourself. It’s the fear of failure, of not being able to do it.” However, she ultimately gathered the resolve to register. Competitors have the option to enter the doubles section as a pair, enabling them to divide the tasks, excluding the running portions. One of the stations is known as the farmer’s carry, which requires walking 200 metres (656 ft) while holding two heavy weights in each hand, similar to carrying shopping bags. Additional stations include pushing and pulling a weighted sled for 50 metres (164 ft) per instance, performing 100 metres (328 ft) of lunges with a sandbag, and repeatedly throwing a large weighted ball overhead 100 times. Leigh indicates that the strength training offers practical benefits in her role as Colin’s caregiver. She explained, “When you have a disabled husband there is a lot of physical care. He can’t sit himself up in bed or swing his legs out, I’ve physically got to pull him up. I’m only 5ft 1in (1.55m) and physically that is a lot for me to lift. If my back goes it wouldn’t be good.” Leigh also mentioned that maintaining fitness enables her to disengage from her caregiving duties. She elaborated, “Focusing on the training allows me to rationalise things in my head, and be much less stressed or upset about it. It helps me get my head around it, like a fuel that keeps me going.” Approximately 175,000 athletes participated in Hyrox events globally last year, with projections for this year potentially reaching 425,000. Due to the immense popularity of these races in the UK, a ballot system for tickets has been implemented. The Glasgow competition was formally announced this week, scheduled to take place over four days from 13-16 March at the SEC, marking its largest event in Scotland thus far. A ticket ballot commenced on Wednesday and will remain open for five days. Leigh and Wiki are pleased to have already secured their tickets and are eager to begin their preparations.