Update on Georgie Hermitage’s Progress
Georgie came in for a review appointment in our clinic recently. She was beaming with positivity and reported she is “Good!”, as she feels she is now back on track, no pun intended with her training for the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Her progress had been hampered as she got a left second metatarsal stress fracture last year. This led to a protracted 18 week rest period with training only really commencing again January 2015.
In the world of Athletics, nothing is left to chance or rushed. It literally is a case of putting one foot forward. Previously when I caught up with Georgie in July, her training programme was run for 3 weeks, then take one week off to allow body to rest. This appeared to be the right balance as she was not experiencing any difficulties other than the usual that athletes have especially those with young families, trying to juggle child care with training, compiled with lack of sponsorship funds to ease the situation. It was at that point Compleet Feet decided we would like to sponsor Georgie not just with all her biomechanical podiatry needs, but with training costs.
I had previously issued Georgie with Firefly prescription orthotics in 2013, but these needed to be reviewed especially now since she had developed a metatarsal stress fracture. The problem has always been Georgie’s left foot, as the left side of her body has the cerebral palsy weakness. Her left foot is held in a high arched position as if she is wearing a 2” heel, what I would term equino-varus. The aim of the orthotic is to support the foot, get correct heel contact and ensure it performs as efficiently as it can. An MRI scan revealed there was still fluid, oedema around the old fracture.
The new orthotics I prescribed included a pad to lift and support the metatarsal. I am delighted to say this simple adjustment appears to be doing the trick. A new MRI scan taken in September revealed the fluid had dissipated. Georgie was back on form.
I would like to take all the credit for improving Georgie’s performance, but I cannot. The majority of the credit goes to the amazing input she gets at the British Athletic Team’s Performance Centre at Loughborough University. Georgie is now getting real support and input from the likes of the Head Coach of the Paralympics Team, Paula Dunn. Added to this the media are now picking up on her progress. A recent media day at Loughborough when the BBC, telegraph and Channel 4 were present, Georgie was heralded as the “Next Hannah Cockcroft”, four time Paralympic world champion. This is hugely motivating, as is all the training and physiotherapy support she is getting.
Her recent stay at Loughborough put her through 4 intensive days of elite training to watch how the foot performed in relation to the rest of the kinetic chain. She was made to run in a flotation tank, cross-train with ‘muscle flush-out’ massage every day to eliminate the build- up of lactic acid. Her orthotics were assessed with state of the art computer aided gait analysis technology to confirm they were functioning. The Loughborough team gave them their seal of approval, which is a big compliment to me. Georgie now on the track was able to hit good race times.
My job is to help keep the left foot strong, and on her last appointment with me I got Georgie to do simple forefoot exercises. The foot is a complex piece of engineering with numerous muscles, tendons and ligaments which get imbalanced and weakened quite easily. Attention is given to strengthening larger muscles, but never the smaller ones. It is the smaller forefoot intrinsic muscles called the lumbricals and interossei which I am interested in, the ones which hold the metatarsals and joints together and get forgotten. Simple exercises like doing jigsaws with the feet engage these structures. I am also interested in keeping the big toe (hallux) strong as it plays a major role in propelling the foot forward in the last phase of gait. It has a spring action, and is designed to take 50% of the weight-bearing forces in the forefoot. If it does not additional stresses are overloaded laterally onto the lesser metatarsals, which is what had happened in Georgie’s case. The 2nd metatarsal got overloaded. It is important for Georgie to keep the big toe strong, and not allow for the medial arch to flatten as a consequence of over pronation or else it ‘locks-out’, and the propulsive spring action is lost. The orthotics help to prevent this, but the main muscles of the hallux have to be kept strong too. Georgie is using electrical pads placed on her feet for 20 minutes every day to stimulate and contract the muscles.
Overall Georgie is happy and performing well. She was interviewed by Channel 4, who have filmed her in Binsted recreational park, as part of the lead up to the forthcoming 2015 IPC Athletic Word Championships in Doha, Qatar 22nd – 31st October. This will go on air on More4 21st October. Meanwhile Georgie will fly out with the British Paralympic Team 11th October to prepare. She will be participating in the 100m, 400m and 4x100m relay. The team need to acclimatise to the high temperatures in Doha. This consists of high intensity training, but low quantity which means training at 90%, but only doing 3 repetitions then tapering “off the gas”. Four days before the main track events there is no training only rest. Great I said to Georgie you can just let your hair down. Oh no, it does not work like that, even if you go to the cinema you have to be escorted. Nothing is left to chance, all athletes are kept on a tight rein. A lot is being invested into their performances, but this all part of the process that Georgie loves. She is enjoying the journey. As she put it the support has been “unbelievable”.
Remember to look out for Geogie on More4 21st October 21st and at Doha IPC Athletic World
