Australian Athlete Takes "Winning" A Bit Too Far

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS “RUDE” SUBJECT MATTER AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF BODILY FUNCTIONS.

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"Do everything it takes to win” and “never give up” are messages we often tell our children as a form of encouragement and motivation. However, at what point does this go too far?

The Woman Who Really Wouldn't Give Up

The internet is deciding in the case of Joanna Wietrzyk, an Australian athlete who recently experienced quite the incident in a Beijing “Hyrox” competition. Hyrox is an indoor fitness race that combines 8 1-km runs with different workout stations such as biking, sled pull, and wall balls to name a few.

Mid-race Wietzyk experienced “explosive diarrhea” which was said to have been running down her legs and was all over her body. However, surprising everyone; Wietzyk continued the race and came in 1st place. She was immediately taken to the hospital where she posted from her hospital bed a picture of herself with the caption “go hard or go home…a win is a win”.

people running on race track — Photo by Nicolas Hoizey on Unsplash

Criticism

However, the accolades and respect she hoped for did not come to pass. The internet turned their attention to the other competitors who were forced to use contaminated equipment such as rowing machines, shared exercise mats, and sleds; and face potential biohazards while just trying to complete the race.

Hyrox China got serious criticism as well for allowing Wietzyk to finish the race and allow the other participants to have to deal with such awful conditions. Some athletes have called for refunds or compensation for what they had to experience.

The event organizers responded with replacing carpets and deep cleaning equipment and promising to add specific guidelines to their rule books in case such an event happens again.

As for Wietzyk, she took the criticism to heart. She has since expressed regret, apologized to everyone, forfeited her win, and stepped away to focus on recovery and spending time with family.

Anyway, does Wietzyk deserve praise for her uncompromising winning mentality even in the face of obstacles or should she be condemned for selfishly exposing the other participants to potentially dangerous conditions? Let us know.