By Dara Smith-Naughton
Becoming the first ever Irish woman to compete in, and finish, Paris-Roubaix came at a significant cost to Mia Griffin. She suffered a nasty fall before the first cobblestone section of the race back in April; a crash that left her with a concussion and ultimately kept her out of action until every recently.
Ahead of starting Rás na mBan on Wednesday, as part of the Irish team, World Tour rider Griffin spoke to stickybottle about her concussion journey, which left her unable to do even basic tasks. Away from racing for over four months, she also says she encountered mixed levels of assistance as she grappled with a condition that was difficult both mentally and physically.
"I went over my handlebars and landed on the right-side of my head," she says of her crash in April 8th. "I initially thought I was okay. Then after the race I didn't feel normal. I had the sensation of being in a fog, I felt nauseous and very unwell."
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Despite her heavy fall, the 24-year old would attempt to compete in another race just days later, but was forced to withdraw due to a feeling of dizziness and the inability to concentrate. "I couldn't focus on the wheel in front, I felt very dizzy," she said.
Concussions are perhaps the most talked-about injury in modern sport at present, and for good reason. It is an impairment medical science is still learning about while the symptoms and recovery period can vary significantly from case to case. Some athletes are back at it in a matter of weeks, while others carry the after effects for months or even years.
"I've broken bones before, this was a different situation," says Griffin. "It was very difficult mentally, I didn't know how long it would take me for to get better."
Soon after being sidelined, the impact of the injury began to manifest and everyday errands became insurmountable challenges. "I would be wrecked doing normal activities, I couldn't even go for a coffee, I would have to be in bed for the day," she said.
One of Ireland's strongest riders on track and road, competing at the highest level of the sport, Griffin was unable to even undertake a 15-minute walk, a bizarre change for someone usually so strong. "It was really difficult to go from being very active, to not being able to do anything. I wasn't able to train for a long time," she says.
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The historically poor treatment for concussed athletes has been widely publicised in recent years, with more athletes also willing to discuss the injury, including Eddie Dunbar recently. Cycling is one sport that is catching up to modern standards of awareness and treatment around concussion and Griffin appears to have encountered those with a full understanding as well as others who were less dialled in.
"Sport Ireland are so good, they are very understanding," she said. "In road racing, they (the community in road racing) are probably less understanding, they are starting to understand more, but it was very much left to me to figure it out."
Luckily for Griffin, those around her were more than enough support throughout her recovery. "My personal coach was very helpful along with Sport Ireland. My boyfriend has also dealt with concussions, so he was able to understand how I was feeling.
"There was anxiety about getting back into racing, my head is settled now. I find joy in racing, it was the best way to take the bandage off," she says of returning to the fray at the recent National Criterium Championships, which she won at Mondello Park, Co Kildare.
"I didn't know how my form was, in comparison to others, it's obviously a big confidence boost, Irish women's racing has gotten so much better," she said of taking gold from a very competitive field, with Marine Lenehan (Team Dan Morrissey-Primor by Pissei) 2nd and Eve McCrystal (Bellurgan Wheelers) 3rd.
As well as riding for World Tour team Israel Premier Tech Roland, Griffin is also a member of Ireland's team pursuit line-up. He lengthy period away from racing - from early April to mid August - meant she missed out on some key races on the track.
Asked what it was like to watch on from the couch as her team mates tried to gain qualification pints of the Olympics, Griffin said: "Difficult, I've been nervous watching. It's out of my control, but it is interesting watching from that perspective. It's good to be back around them now."
Griffin has expressed her excitement at competing at the Rás na mBan with Team Ireland; a race that gets underway in Co Kilkenny on Wednesday.
"I'm excited to come home to Ireland for the Rás, I'm the oldest on the team. I'm looking forward to working with the younger girls," she said of a squad that also includes Lenehen, Aoife and Caoimhe O'Brien and Erin Creighton. At 24-years-old, Griffin's senior position in the line-up is indicative of the promising future of Irish cycling.
Going forward, Griffin is unsure which team she may end up with for next season. But she hopes to find a flexible arrangement that will allow her race on the road while also allowing for track commitment in an Olympic year.
