If any one would like to leave a message of support for Clementine, they can click the 'leave a message' link at the bottom left of each update.? She would love to hear from you :)
If any one would like to leave a message of support for Clementine, they can click the 'leave a message' link at the bottom left of each update.? She would love to hear from you :)
About Clementine and her decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (the road to St. James) in Northern Spain. I would like to start by telling you my story in the hope that it may help and inspire other arthritis sufferers; and in the hope that you, your family, work colleagues and friends may give generously to Arthritis New Zealand. I am funding the pilgrimage walk from my own savings, but I will be promoting awareness of athritis on the walk, and have a goal of raising a large sum of money for Arthritis New Zealand. Three years ago I was in quite a different world. After many years of gruelling training and dedication to the sport, I was selected for the New Zealand Womenfs Rowing Eight to compete at the World Championships in Eton, England. This is what I had always dreamed of ? representing New Zealand ? and it had finally become a reality. I had represented New Zealand in pervious years at age-group level, and won a Bronze medal in the U23 Quad at the 2005 Under 23 World Championships in Amsterdam. I relocated to Cambridge in 2005 to train at Lake Karipiro, which is a requirement if you make any of the New Zealand rowing crews. We trained there for four months and then travelled over to Europe to begin our three month tour. The first day off the plane, in Poland, we were walking around the rowing course, stretching our legs after a long flight ? and I felt a very sharp pain in my right foot, which was so sore it was difficult to walk. It seemed so random that I disregarded it ? simply thinking it would go away. Over the proceeding months, we went from Poland, to the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and finally to England, training and competing at World Cup Regattas. Over this time, I spent virtually every day with our team Physiotherapist, as the sore foot became excruciatingly sore along with my hips, groin, back, shoulders and neck. Every different place we travelled to, I would be taken to the hospital to see a specialist. I would undergo all sorts of tests, scans, X-rays and every time I was diagnosed with something different and given a different treatment. Because of the intense nature of the training I was doing, it seemed to the doctors and physios that all of my pains were simply separate injuries. No one thought it might be arthritis. During these three months, I lived on anti-inflammatories and pain killers ? and amazingly they got me through the tour c just. I still had to endure enormous pain, especially when walking and sleeping, but I was still able to row. We finally got to Eton to race in the World Championships. We raced very well for our first year in the eeightf ? placing 7th overall. It was when I arrived back in New Zealand after the World Champs that our team doctor told me it was imperative that I go off the medication, as I had been on it far too long, and this could cause health complications. I went off them and hit rock bottom. I was an absolute mess and basically bedridden. I blocked out a lot of this from my memory. My parents remember it better than I do, because they were so incredibly scared. They had no idea what was wrong with me. How could I go from being an elite athlete to being a cripple? I could not walk ? as it felt like I was walking on broken glass, so I shuffled around or just stayed in bed. I could not move my legs properly either without a huge amount of pain, so getting in and out of bed was incredibly difficult. I couldnft move my neck. It had seized up in the first month of the tour and was really starting to drive me crazy. Long-term pain can really test you mentally and emotionally ? as people with arthritis and other injuries and illnesses would know so well. I just couldnft handle the pain and severe restriction anymore. I was finally diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis a few weeks after arriving back to Wellington. To my dismay I was put on Prednisone steroids and Suplhazalizine. I was told by my Rheumatologist to not even think about rowing until I was better and off the medication. (This was not until a year later.) So whilst the rest of my crew went back to training, I had to re-evaluate what I would do next. I spent the summer recovering in Wellington and the Hawkes Bay, and then went back down to Christchurch, where I completed my 4th and last year of my Fine Arts Degree at Canterbury University. It was a very difficult recovery period ? emotionally, mentally and physically. My goal to go to the Olympics was forced aside and I had to work out what my new goals would be. My initial goal was simply to get better. I had spent such a long time in pain that I was just desperate to get back to normal. It was incredibly hard for me, losing my physical capability, because all my life I had been very active and highly involved in sport. I had always loved art and had been studying at Ilam, School of Fine Arts, before having to relocate north for training ? so I easily fell back into that. By the end of the following year I had developed my art significantly and had created a strong portfolio, which helped me get my foot in the door of a well-renowned Christchurch gallery, COCA. I was also fortunate to obtain a position at Alexanders Advertising agency, where I have been working for a year and a half now, and have learnt a great deal about marketing and advertising. My physical condition is pretty good. I got back into exercising when my body allowed me to and have played in a basketball team for the last two seasons, which has been great fun. I still have a bit of pain in my feet ? especially in the mornings or after long walks or runs, and occasionally feel other arthritic symptoms in other joints. But overall I like to think that I am pretty fit and healthy. In saying that, I still have to be very careful as there are a number of factors that can trigger my Reactive Arthritis.
About Clementine and her decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (the road to St. James) in Northern Spain. I would like to start by telling you my story in the hope that it may help and inspire other arthritis sufferers; and in the hope that you, your family, work colleagues and friends may give generously to Arthritis New Zealand. I am funding the pilgrimage walk from my own savings, but I will be promoting awareness of athritis on the walk, and have a goal of raising a large sum of money for Arthritis New Zealand. Three years ago I was in quite a different world. After many years of gruelling training and dedication to the sport, I was selected for the New Zealand Womenfs Rowing Eight to compete at the World Championships in Eton, England. This is what I had always dreamed of ? representing New Zealand ? and it had finally become a reality. I had represented New Zealand in pervious years at age-group level, and won a Bronze medal in the U23 Quad at the 2005 Under 23 World Championships in Amsterdam. I relocated to Cambridge in 2005 to train at Lake Karipiro, which is a requirement if you make any of the New Zealand rowing crews. We trained there for four months and then travelled over to Europe to begin our three month tour. The first day off the plane, in Poland, we were walking around the rowing course, stretching our legs after a long flight ? and I felt a very sharp pain in my right foot, which was so sore it was difficult to walk. It seemed so random that I disregarded it ? simply thinking it would go away. Over the proceeding months, we went from Poland, to the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and finally to England, training and competing at World Cup Regattas. Over this time, I spent virtually every day with our team Physiotherapist, as the sore foot became excruciatingly sore along with my hips, groin, back, shoulders and neck. Every different place we travelled to, I would be taken to the hospital to see a specialist. I would undergo all sorts of tests, scans, X-rays and every time I was diagnosed with something different and given a different treatment. Because of the intense nature of the training I was doing, it seemed to the doctors and physios that all of my pains were simply separate injuries. No one thought it might be arthritis. During these three months, I lived on anti-inflammatories and pain killers ? and amazingly they got me through the tour c just. I still had to endure enormous pain, especially when walking and sleeping, but I was still able to row. We finally got to Eton to race in the World Championships. We raced very well for our first year in the eeightf ? placing 7th overall. It was when I arrived back in New Zealand after the World Champs that our team doctor told me it was imperative that I go off the medication, as I had been on it far too long, and this could cause health complications. I went off them and hit rock bottom. I was an absolute mess and basically bedridden. I blocked out a lot of this from my memory. My parents remember it better than I do, because they were so incredibly scared. They had no idea what was wrong with me. How could I go from being an elite athlete to being a cripple? I could not walk ? as it felt like I was walking on broken glass, so I shuffled around or just stayed in bed. I could not move my legs properly either without a huge amount of pain, so getting in and out of bed was incredibly difficult. I couldnft move my neck. It had seized up in the first month of the tour and was really starting to drive me crazy. Long-term pain can really test you mentally and emotionally ? as people with arthritis and other injuries and illnesses would know so well. I just couldnft handle the pain and severe restriction anymore. I was finally diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis a few weeks after arriving back to Wellington. To my dismay I was put on Prednisone steroids and Suplhazalizine. I was told by my Rheumatologist to not even think about rowing until I was better and off the medication. (This was not until a year later.) So whilst the rest of my crew went back to training, I had to re-evaluate what I would do next. I spent the summer recovering in Wellington and the Hawkes Bay, and then went back down to Christchurch, where I completed my 4th and last year of my Fine Arts Degree at Canterbury University. It was a very difficult recovery period ? emotionally, mentally and physically. My goal to go to the Olympics was forced aside and I had to work out what my new goals would be. My initial goal was simply to get better. I had spent such a long time in pain that I was just desperate to get back to normal. It was incredibly hard for me, losing my physical capability, because all my life I had been very active and highly involved in sport. I had always loved art and had been studying at Ilam, School of Fine Arts, before having to relocate north for training ? so I easily fell back into that. By the end of the following year I had developed my art significantly and had created a strong portfolio, which helped me get my foot in the door of a well-renowned Christchurch gallery, COCA. I was also fortunate to obtain a position at Alexanders Advertising agency, where I have been working for a year and a half now, and have learnt a great deal about marketing and advertising. My physical condition is pretty good. I got back into exercising when my body allowed me to and have played in a basketball team for the last two seasons, which has been great fun. I still have a bit of pain in my feet ? especially in the mornings or after long walks or runs, and occasionally feel other arthritic symptoms in other joints. But overall I like to think that I am pretty fit and healthy. In saying that, I still have to be very careful as there are a number of factors that can trigger my Reactive Arthritis.
About Clementine and her decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (the road to St. James) in Northern Spain. I would like to start by telling you my story in the hope that it may help and inspire other arthritis sufferers; and in the hope that you, your family, work colleagues and friends may give generously to Arthritis New Zealand. I am funding the pilgrimage walk from my own savings, but I will be promoting awareness of athritis on the walk, and have a goal of raising a large sum of money for Arthritis New Zealand. Three years ago I was in quite a different world. After many years of gruelling training and dedication to the sport, I was selected for the New Zealand Womenfs Rowing Eight to compete at the World Championships in Eton, England. This is what I had always dreamed of ? representing New Zealand ? and it had finally become a reality. I had represented New Zealand in pervious years at age-group level, and won a Bronze medal in the U23 Quad at the 2005 Under 23 World Championships in Amsterdam. I relocated to Cambridge in 2005 to train at Lake Karipiro, which is a requirement if you make any of the New Zealand rowing crews. We trained there for four months and then travelled over to Europe to begin our three month tour. The first day off the plane, in Poland, we were walking around the rowing course, stretching our legs after a long flight ? and I felt a very sharp pain in my right foot, which was so sore it was difficult to walk. It seemed so random that I disregarded it ? simply thinking it would go away. Over the proceeding months, we went from Poland, to the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and finally to England, training and competing at World Cup Regattas. Over this time, I spent virtually every day with our team Physiotherapist, as the sore foot became excruciatingly sore along with my hips, groin, back, shoulders and neck. Every different place we travelled to, I would be taken to the hospital to see a specialist. I would undergo all sorts of tests, scans, X-rays and every time I was diagnosed with something different and given a different treatment. Because of the intense nature of the training I was doing, it seemed to the doctors and physios that all of my pains were simply separate injuries. No one thought it might be arthritis. During these three months, I lived on anti-inflammatories and pain killers ? and amazingly they got me through the tour c just. I still had to endure enormous pain, especially when walking and sleeping, but I was still able to row. We finally got to Eton to race in the World Championships. We raced very well for our first year in the eeightf ? placing 7th overall. It was when I arrived back in New Zealand after the World Champs that our team doctor told me it was imperative that I go off the medication, as I had been on it far too long, and this could cause health complications. I went off them and hit rock bottom. I was an absolute mess and basically bedridden. I blocked out a lot of this from my memory. My parents remember it better than I do, because they were so incredibly scared. They had no idea what was wrong with me. How could I go from being an elite athlete to being a cripple? I could not walk ? as it felt like I was walking on broken glass, so I shuffled around or just stayed in bed. I could not move my legs properly either without a huge amount of pain, so getting in and out of bed was incredibly difficult. I couldnft move my neck. It had seized up in the first month of the tour and was really starting to drive me crazy. Long-term pain can really test you mentally and emotionally ? as people with arthritis and other injuries and illnesses would know so well. I just couldnft handle the pain and severe restriction anymore. I was finally diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis a few weeks after arriving back to Wellington. To my dismay I was put on Prednisone steroids and Suplhazalizine. I was told by my Rheumatologist to not even think about rowing until I was better and off the medication. (This was not until a year later.) So whilst the rest of my crew went back to training, I had to re-evaluate what I would do next. I spent the summer recovering in Wellington and the Hawkes Bay, and then went back down to Christchurch, where I completed my 4th and last year of my Fine Arts Degree at Canterbury University. It was a very difficult recovery period ? emotionally, mentally and physically. My goal to go to the Olympics was forced aside and I had to work out what my new goals would be. My initial goal was simply to get better. I had spent such a long time in pain that I was just desperate to get back to normal. It was incredibly hard for me, losing my physical capability, because all my life I had been very active and highly involved in sport. I had always loved art and had been studying at Ilam, School of Fine Arts, before having to relocate north for training ? so I easily fell back into that. By the end of the following year I had developed my art significantly and had created a strong portfolio, which helped me get my foot in the door of a well-renowned Christchurch gallery, COCA. I was also fortunate to obtain a position at Alexanders Advertising agency, where I have been working for a year and a half now, and have learnt a great deal about marketing and advertising. My physical condition is pretty good. I got back into exercising when my body allowed me to and have played in a basketball team for the last two seasons, which has been great fun. I still have a bit of pain in my feet ? especially in the mornings or after long walks or runs, and occasionally feel other arthritic symptoms in other joints. But overall I like to think that I am pretty fit and healthy. In saying that, I still have to be very careful as there are a number of factors that can trigger my Reactive Arthritis.
About Clementine and her decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (the road to St. James) in Northern Spain. I would like to start by telling you my story in the hope that it may help and inspire other arthritis sufferers; and in the hope that you, your family, work colleagues and friends may give generously to Arthritis New Zealand. I am funding the pilgrimage walk from my own savings, but I will be promoting awareness of athritis on the walk, and have a goal of raising a large sum of money for Arthritis New Zealand. Three years ago I was in quite a different world. After many years of gruelling training and dedication to the sport, I was selected for the New Zealand Womenfs Rowing Eight to compete at the World Championships in Eton, England. This is what I had always dreamed of ? representing New Zealand ? and it had finally become a reality. I had represented New Zealand in pervious years at age-group level, and won a Bronze medal in the U23 Quad at the 2005 Under 23 World Championships in Amsterdam. I relocated to Cambridge in 2005 to train at Lake Karipiro, which is a requirement if you make any of the New Zealand rowing crews. We trained there for four months and then travelled over to Europe to begin our three month tour. The first day off the plane, in Poland, we were walking around the rowing course, stretching our legs after a long flight ? and I felt a very sharp pain in my right foot, which was so sore it was difficult to walk. It seemed so random that I disregarded it ? simply thinking it would go away. Over the proceeding months, we went from Poland, to the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and finally to England, training and competing at World Cup Regattas. Over this time, I spent virtually every day with our team Physiotherapist, as the sore foot became excruciatingly sore along with my hips, groin, back, shoulders and neck. Every different place we travelled to, I would be taken to the hospital to see a specialist. I would undergo all sorts of tests, scans, X-rays and every time I was diagnosed with something different and given a different treatment. Because of the intense nature of the training I was doing, it seemed to the doctors and physios that all of my pains were simply separate injuries. No one thought it might be arthritis. During these three months, I lived on anti-inflammatories and pain killers ? and amazingly they got me through the tour c just. I still had to endure enormous pain, especially when walking and sleeping, but I was still able to row. We finally got to Eton to race in the World Championships. We raced very well for our first year in the eeightf ? placing 7th overall. It was when I arrived back in New Zealand after the World Champs that our team doctor told me it was imperative that I go off the medication, as I had been on it far too long, and this could cause health complications. I went off them and hit rock bottom. I was an absolute mess and basically bedridden. I blocked out a lot of this from my memory. My parents remember it better than I do, because they were so incredibly scared. They had no idea what was wrong with me. How could I go from being an elite athlete to being a cripple? I could not walk ? as it felt like I was walking on broken glass, so I shuffled around or just stayed in bed. I could not move my legs properly either without a huge amount of pain, so getting in and out of bed was incredibly difficult. I couldnft move my neck. It had seized up in the first month of the tour and was really starting to drive me crazy. Long-term pain can really test you mentally and emotionally ? as people with arthritis and other injuries and illnesses would know so well. I just couldnft handle the pain and severe restriction anymore. I was finally diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis a few weeks after arriving back to Wellington. To my dismay I was put on Prednisone steroids and Suplhazalizine. I was told by my Rheumatologist to not even think about rowing until I was better and off the medication. (This was not until a year later.) So whilst the rest of my crew went back to training, I had to re-evaluate what I would do next. I spent the summer recovering in Wellington and the Hawkes Bay, and then went back down to Christchurch, where I completed my 4th and last year of my Fine Arts Degree at Canterbury University. It was a very difficult recovery period ? emotionally, mentally and physically. My goal to go to the Olympics was forced aside and I had to work out what my new goals would be. My initial goal was simply to get better. I had spent such a long time in pain that I was just desperate to get back to normal. It was incredibly hard for me, losing my physical capability, because all my life I had been very active and highly involved in sport. I had always loved art and had been studying at Ilam, School of Fine Arts, before having to relocate north for training ? so I easily fell back into that. By the end of the following year I had developed my art significantly and had created a strong portfolio, which helped me get my foot in the door of a well-renowned Christchurch gallery, COCA. I was also fortunate to obtain a position at Alexanders Advertising agency, where I have been working for a year and a half now, and have learnt a great deal about marketing and advertising. My physical condition is pretty good. I got back into exercising when my body allowed me to and have played in a basketball team for the last two seasons, which has been great fun. I still have a bit of pain in my feet ? especially in the mornings or after long walks or runs, and occasionally feel other arthritic symptoms in other joints. But overall I like to think that I am pretty fit and healthy. In saying that, I still have to be very careful as there are a number of factors that can trigger my Reactive Arthritis.
