Eliza McCartney struggling with possible genetic disorder

Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney has revealed she may be suffering from a genetic disorder that has disrupted her training.

Eliza McCartney. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

In a post to her followers on Instagram, the bronze medal-winning athlete says she has been continually challenged by injuries this year, and at times it has been difficult to cope.

But she says she has started medication and hopes to be fit to qualify for next year's Tokyo Olympics.

McCartney told her followers she has been in and out of a moon boot and has not been been able to walk after straining her Achilles tendon.

Tests have revealed she may be suffering a genetic disorder that causes autoimmune inflammation, particularly affecting tendons.

McCartney, who turns 23 next week, won the bronze medal in the women's pole vault event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She is the current New Zealand and Oceania record holder.

She says that after nearly a year she is ready for the challenge of trying to get fit for Tokyo.

View this post on Instagram

My amazing followers, it’s time I share what’s been happening in the last 2 months. I’ve been a little quiet on social media and some of you have been asking why I’m not posting about my training and vaulting. I hope after reading this you can appreciate that I haven’t been in the right space to share this until now, but here goes. ▪️After pulling out of World Champs I was back to injury free training for the first time since August 2018. But that ended abruptly one vault session when I got a sudden, intense pain in my Achilles. I was hoping it would just be a short flare of my reoccurring tendinitis, but instead of improving, my Achilles completely deteriorated. Numerous scans, in and out of a moon boot, not able to walk, some days unable to even put any weight through that foot, and all the while being completely unclear on why I had such an atypical Achilles tendinitis. That was now 8.5 weeks ago, and we’ve only just come across a potential cause, which possibly has been present in some or all of the injuries I’ve had in the past 3 years. We think I might have a genetic disorder that causes autoimmune inflammation, particularly affecting tendons. Essentially this means over time microtrauma causes my immune system to go into overdrive and set off an inflammatory process in the affected area. ▪️I’ve been continually challenged this year, and at times it’s been difficult to cope, but the GOOD NEWS is I’ve started the medication for this condition and I’m finally feeling my positive self again. I might not be ready to compete over the New Zealand summer, but all going well I’ll be fit to qualify and build into Tokyo. It’s going to be far from the ideal build up to an Olympics but after a year off I’m bloody ready for the challenge. There is a lot more I want to share but that’s more than enough for one post. ▪️Please ask ANY QUESTIONS, I want to share my road to Tokyo with you all. Also, thank you all for sticking with me through these tough times, and a big thank you to my team and everyone else who has kept me afloat each time I’ve started to sink

A post shared by Eliza McCartney (@eliza_mac_) on Dec 4, 2019 at 12:27pm PST

"After pulling out of World Champs I was back to injury free training for the first time since August 2018. But that ended abruptly one vault session when I got a sudden, intense pain in my Achilles," she says.

"I was hoping it would just be a short flare of my reoccurring tendinitis, but instead of improving, my Achilles completely deteriorated. Numerous scans, in and out of a moon boot, not able to walk, some days unable to even put any weight through that foot, and all the while being completely unclear on why I had such an atypical Achilles tendinitis.

"That was now 8.5 weeks ago, and we've only just come across a potential cause, which possibly has been present in some or all of the injuries I've had in the past 3 years.

"We think I might have a genetic disorder that causes autoimmune inflammation, particularly affecting tendons. Essentially this means over time microtrauma causes my immune system to go into overdrive and set off an inflammatory process in the affected area."

McCartney says the good news is she has started medication and is feeling "my positive self again".

"I might not be ready to compete over the New Zealand summer, but all going well I'll be fit to qualify and build into Tokyo. It's going to be far from the ideal build up to an Olympics but after a year off I'm bloody ready for the challenge."